Only Hope
by PurpleHush
Summary: Rosalie gets back to Forks after three years with a big surprise. How would her family react? all human; please read and review :D
1. Back to Forks

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

I never thought there will be a time when I would go back to Forks. I hated this inconsequential town. It was from this town and its gloomy, omnipresent shade that I escaped after I graduated from high school.

I stared out of the windows of my car as I waited for the traffic light to turn green. Forks was beautiful, of course; I couldn't deny that. Everything was green: the trees, their trunks covered with moss, their branches hanging with a canopy of it, the ground covered with ferns. Even the air filtered down greenly through the leaves. Forks was too green — an alien planet.

Eventually I made it to my house. The old Cullen mansion. The house was still timeless and beautiful in a graceful way.

I took a deep breath. _This is it, _I told myself. I knocked on the door three times before someone opened it – Jasper, my dear twin brother. He still looked the same – tall and leonine. His face instantly burst with delight as he hugged me.

"Oh my god, Rose! You're back!" he squealed as he hugged me. "Esme! Rosie's here!"

His embrace showered warmth to my body. I hugged him back tightly; I can't deny the fact that I've missed him so much.

A moment later, Esme and Carlisle emerged from the stairs and paced as fast as they could when they saw me.

"Honey, it's great to see you back!" Esme said sincerely. "Look at you – you haven't changed a bit!"

Esme's comforting voice almost erased every trace of uneasiness in my body. I hugged her and Carlisle. Tears started to run down on my cheeks. Even if they were only my adoptive aunt and uncle, they still loved me as if I were their own.

"Are you finally going to stay here again?" Carlisle asked, stroking my golden hair.

I nodded and smiled. God knows how much I've missed them since I left Forks three years ago.

"Jasper, go get Rose's things from her car. I'll go call Alice and Edward to share with them the good news." Esme said.

Carlisle led me to the sofa and stared at me. "You really haven't changed a bit." His smile turned to a look full of curiosity when his eyes landed on the bump in my belly.

I hesitated and changed the subject. "Where are Alice and Edward?"

"Edward and Bella took their daughter to the park. Alice is in Port Angeles, shopping." His gaze was still focused on my belly. "Rose, is that what I think it is?"

I sighed. "I'll talk about it later, when everybody's here. Edward and Bella already have a daughter?"

Carlisle smiled and nodded. "Yes, Renesmee. We call her Nessie. She is such a darling."

Jasper was back from putting my bags in my old room and was humming something when he approached us. "I still can't believe you're back, Rose. Everything's been kind of sad when you left, especially Alice. She's been dreadful not to have a great shopping partner and cousin." Jasper babbled on excitedly. "And, you'll love Edward's daughter. She's simply amazing."

I smiled at the thought of that. Alice and I have been close in many ways – shopping, for one. She and Jasper have been together for as long as I can remember. And Edward's daughter…I can't wait to see her, too.

Carlisle let me go to my room to unwind and rest before Edward and the others arrive, while Esme and Jasper started to prepare a special dinner for my return.

* * *


	2. I'm Pregnant

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

I wonder where on earth Royce is right now. The thought of him made me wince and shiver. I moved my hand to the bump on my stomach and a thousand thoughts came rushing on to my mind.

A tap on the door snapped me back to reality. I sat up and fixed my hair.

"Rosie?" Alice's musical voice crooned as she peaked inside. "Oh my god! It's true, you're back!" she screamed with delight as she ran to me.

"How was your shopping trip to Port Angeles?" I asked, trying to be vibrant.

She rolled her eyes and glanced at Bella standing beside Edward with a little girl on her arms near the door. "Dreadful. Bella is such a _boring _shopper. I was doing all the picking and choosing. She's just always beside Edward." Alice babbled animatedly. "I can't believe I'd miss you soooooo much!"

I hugged her. "I missed you, too." I motioned for Bella and Edward to come closer. "Come here, you two. Believe it or not, I missed you too."

I held the tiny hand of the little girl Bella was carrying. "Hey there, sweetie. You must be Nessie."

The girl smiled shyly and touched my cheeks.

Edward ushered Bella to his side. "You missed us?" She asked as she sulked into Edwards arms.

I put a hand on her shoulder. "Yes. I never thought I'd miss you, but… I did."

"Maybe you just missed having someone to intimidate," Edward said flatly.

"Edward!" Alice gushed. "Don't be so rude, Rose just got back."

"That's past now." I assured Edward and Bella. I remember back then when Bella was new in our family and how much I hated her for entering my family just like that.

Alice flipped my hair and rested her head on my shoulder. "I'm so glad you're back. We all missed you so much, especially Jasper," she breathed.

"I know. That's why I'm back," I said.

"So tell me, how was life in Rochester?" Alice asked excitedly. "And where's Royce?" her tone became dull when she said Royce's name.

I tried to smile and pretend, but what came out was a grimace. What am I going to tell them? The question ran rapidly on my mind. "Let's not talk about that right now."

Alice, even Edward, noticed the now glum look on my face. Alice took in my sensitivity to the issue and became quiet in no time. We were all silent for a while. Bella was still in Edward's arms, playing with her daughter, and Alice resting on my shoulder.

"Kids," Esme called out. "Dinner's ready!"

Everyone else didn't seem to notice the bump in my belly, except for Carlisle. He watched me as I strode down the stairs and made my way to the dining room. The house was still unbelievably the same. Esme and Alice did a great job maintaining it.

I watched Bella and Edward as they crooned over Nessie during dinner. They seem to be very happy with her. I wonder how much I would feel when my darling gets out of me.

Trying to be as vibrant as I could, I shared some of my experiences from Rochester with my family. Alice beamed with delight when I told her I worked as a designer at one of the boutiques Royce's family owned. She now got an idea of creating a fashion line with me.

Everything was going on quite well, until Carlisle cleared his throat. "Rose, I believe you have something to tell us," Carlisle said, giving me a reproving look.

I toyed with my spoon and looked around the table; all eyes were gazed on me. _This is it_, I told myself again. How many times did I practice this speech on my mind? I lost track. I tried to think of every positive way to say this, but nothing came into my mind.

"I came back because I missed you so much. Another reason is that life in Rochester was not what I expected. I'm…" I trailed off, finding it hard to say out loud what I have to tell them. I looked at Carlisle, who very much looked like a concerned father right now.

Seeing my troubled look, Bella, who was sitting beside me, held my hand. I didn't expect support to come from Bella. It felt nice, though.

I took a deep breath and squeezed her hand slightly. "I'm pregnant."

* * *


	3. Shallow

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

Everyone, including Nessie, fell silent. Not one of them even looked away from me. Alice was the first one to speak up.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded slowly. Bella's grip on my hand became a source of comfort.

Everyone, except Esme, beamed with delight. "Did you hear her, Carlisle? Rose is having a baby!"

Well, at least Esme was happy about this.

"Who's the father?" Jasper asked, his voice full of concern.

"Royce."

"Where is he?" Esme asked concernedly.

Tears started to roll down to my cheeks. "He left me when he found out about it."

Jasper stood up, enraged. "That bastard!"

Edward stood up and forced Jasper to sit down. "Watch your language, Jazz. Not in front of Nessie."

Jasper shrugged with much frustration. "Sorry."

Esme rushed to my side and cradled me in her arms to soothe the tension she saw in me. I didn't expect this announcement to be so hard. Carlisle, who was still silent, finally spoke up.

"I would like to speak to Royce."

"I don't know where he is. He was the first one who left," I said weakly.

Jasper mumbled something I couldn't make out, but I was sure Alice heard what he said; she whisked him out of the room.

"Bella," Esme said, "Could you please take Rose to her room? Edward will take care of Nessie."

Esme kissed my forehead and whispered, "Go ahead, sweetie."

I let Bella escort me to my room. My knees felt too weak to walk alone. Bella silently closed the door behind her as we entered my room.

"I don't know what to say, Rosalie." Sincerity overflowed her innocent chocolate eyes.

_Rosalie. _She can't call me by my nickname…I can't believe I intimidated her so much. "Call me Rose, please."

She hesitated for a moment, and then finally gave out a weak smile.

"Tell me how it was," I paused and wiped my tears, "to have a baby."

Her cheeks instantly turned red with delight. "It's really something I can't explain. But, I can assure you, you will love every single moment of being a parent."

"You look so happy with Nessie."

"I really am, and so is Edward, and everyone else in the family." She looked at me and stroke a stray strand of hair, "You'll like her, too."

Having this moment with Bella made me realize how much I've yearned for a child. Royce just didn't share that kind of passion and yearning with me.

I looked at Bella straight in her eyes. "I'm sorry…for rejecting you years ago."

"Don't be. It's all in the past."

How could she forgive me like nothing happened? I treated her like an outsider when she entered our family. I can't believe how shallow I've been. I didn't think of others' feelings back then…what was important to me were my beauty and my welfare. _Shallow…_

I was on the verge of crying again when someone knocked on the door. "Come in."

Alice got in and walked swiftly to my bed.

"How's Jasper?"

She shrugged, "He's still mad, but he'll be okay. Edward and Carlisle are talking to him right now."

"What about Nessie?" Bella asked.

"She's with Esme."

All three of us were silent for a while. Alice was sensitive enough not to talk, and Bella sensed that, too. Having them by my side was enough for me now. I didn't have much energy to go through this whole 'I'm pregnant' thing again by my own.

I don't know how much time passed, I didn't even realize I'd fallen asleep until I woke up around midnight and saw Jasper sitting by my bedside.

* * *


	4. Connection

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

"How was your sleep?" he hushed.

"What time is it?" I groaned.

"2 AM," he whispered, his voice almost trembling. "Rose, how long have you been pregnant?"

I sat up, "About a month and a half. I only found out a week ago."

"What exactly did Royce say when he found out?"

It was so hard to think of that moment again…that gruesome moment when Royce denied something I have learned to love in a matter of days. "He didn't say a word. Later that night, I woke up and he was already gone."

Jasper's fists clenched. His eyes were full of anger.

"Don't worry, Jazz. I don't need him in my life." I felt something block my throat. No, I needed him now for support. But I have no choice; he left me to overcome this period alone.

"You're only saying that now. What will you do when your baby comes?"

I smiled and held his hand. "I know you'll be there to help me, even Alice and Esme. I know you'll all help me go through with it." I paused and remembered Bella. "Bella could even give me some motherly tips."

"I just hope I won't stumble to that Royce…I could kill him if I see him again."

Seeing Jasper like this, hurt and angry, was so much painful for me. I felt like he was absorbing the feelings I've been trying to hide. Jasper and I have a mutual connection – something we had since we were babies. The other twin's feelings will reflect on the other twin. That's what bound us together.

"What are you going to name the baby?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I haven't thought about that yet. I don't even know the baby's gender."

Jasper sighed, his frustrations rolling off of him. "I didn't know you wanted a baby."

I smiled slightly and placed my hand on my stomach. "Neither did I. But when I found out, I was like…changed."

"I want you to be happy, Rose. Don't get me wrong – I'm happy that you're having a baby – but haven't you thought of what you'd tell your child when he or she asks you about their father? Could you really cope up with that without the father of your child?"

I locked my gaze onto Jasper, "Jazz, I know you'll help get through with this. Promise me that."

He let out a sigh, "I promise. I should probably go now; Alice might be looking for me. Go back to sleep." He kissed my forehead and left the room.

I felt a hundred different emotions burst out of me as I watched my brother get out of my room. Even if his back was turned on me, I could see his remorseful look. I know Jasper inside and out. I started to cry again as I felt pity for myself. I, beauty queen, was left by my fiancé to bring up our child on my own. What kind of stuck-up life is that?

Suddenly, I felt a nudge on my belly. I thought I was imagining things, but the nudging continued.

"Oh my!" I hushed, "Well, hello there." I would probably sound nuts, talking to my belly and all. But I also find this moment cute and comforting. _My baby wants me to stop crying._ I actually smiled genuinely for the first time since Royce left. I can't help but giggle at the thought of my baby comforting me.

"Blythe…" I whispered. "Do you like that? If you're a girl, that's what I'll name you. Classic." I told my baby. "And Jazz, after your uncle Jasper, if you're a boy."

The connection I felt with my baby became stronger, and I realized I've always wanted this more than anything else.

I couldn't be any happier than this moment. My baby, I know for sure, is the only hope I have left to try to live a happy life.

* * *


	5. How long has it been?

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)*  
**A/N: For those of you who are asking for Emmett, he will appear in the next few chapters; don't worry. ;) Hope you'll continue to read this. ~PurpleHush~

* * *

Five months have passed, and everything seemed to go well. Everyone from my family was now excited for me and my baby. Esme and Carlisle assisted me in every way they could; Bella let me spend time with Nessie to learn more about motherhood. When I was three months through my pregnancy, Carlisle made me take an ultrasound; I was so glad to find out that my baby is a girl.

Alice was excited, too, because she firmly believes that the baby will look like me, and she knows that I will let her dress up my baby when she wants to. And Jasper, he was the most excited member of our family. He kept on imagining himself being an uncle.

My belly was big now, and sometimes I become easily tired. Blythe, as I call my baby, constantly gives me a nudge, as if talking to me. Sometimes she would nudge too when Jasper or Esme gently rubs my belly. I was now prepared for motherhood.

Today, Alice and I planned to go shopping for baby clothes in Seattle. Jasper insisted on coming with us, but Alice persuaded him and told him that shopping will only bore him. Knowing he doesn't have a chance against Alice, Jasper let us go alone.

"What do you think of this purple robe?" Alice asked, holding out a velvet robe. "Isn't it cute?"

I nodded, "Yes, it is. But don't you think we've bought enough baby robes?"

She took the robe to the cashier, "This'll be the last."

My baby nudged me again, and somehow, I understood what that nudge meant. "Alice," I called out.

She was almost done paying the robe, she turned around, smiling. "Yeah?"

"Can we go eat now? The baby's hungry."

She nodded and ushered me to Ciro's, the most posh restaurant in Seattle.

"Table for two," Alice told the receptionist.

He then guided us to a table beside the glass window. Alice and I ordered king-sized salads. The waiter, just like everyone else in the mall, constantly looked at me and Alice. Our beauty never fails to make heads turn. If only I wasn't pregnant, I was sure someone would've made a move on me.

Alice babbled animatedly about being excited about my baby's birth. She said my baby and Nessie would get along well and would be like sisters. I like the thought of that.

It was at that moment when I spun around to ask the waiter for the check. I saw a face I knew well. Even from a few meters apart, I knew that he saw me, too, because he was staring back at me. How long has it been since I last saw this man? Five months?

Alice seemed to have noticed me, and saw Royce. She fumbled in her bag, searching for her purse. "Come on, Rose. We have to go," she said. She pulled out an amount of money from her purse and didn't wait for the check to arrive. She stood up and whisked me from my chair.

As I stood up, Royce now saw my swollen belly. His eyes almost popped out from their sockets, shocked to see my baby…_his _baby. At that moment, he started to walk towards me hesitantly. Alice, who was clutching my arm, froze.

"Rosalie," Royce said. "I didn't expect to see you here."

Something blocked my throat; I wanted to speak up, but I can't find the right words to say. Anger and pain crept up into my system like a deadly virus. I remembered what Jasper told me before. _"I just hope I won't stumble to that Royce…I could kill him if I see him again." _I was glad Alice didn't let Jasper come with us.

I turned to look at Alice, pretending to ignore Royce. "Come on, Alice. I'm tired already." I whisked her out of the restaurant, but Royce followed and grabbed my arm.


	6. Accident

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

"Rosalie, wait," he said as he grabbed my arm. I tried to free my arm, but his grip was tight. I turned to face him.

"What do you want?"

He outstretched his arm to touch my belly, but I yanked his hand away.

"Don't touch _my _baby."

"Don't you mean _our_ baby?"

Alice folded her arms. "As far as we're concerned, you left Rose to bring up the baby alone."

"I was stupid."

Alice chuckled menially. "You _are _stupid. How dare you talk to Rose after what you did." She grabbed my arm again. "Come on, Rose."

"Just give me a chance to clear things with you," he gushed.

Tears strolled down my face. I knew at that moment that I couldn't strip him off of his responsibility to our baby. "Where do you want to talk?"

He seemed to have smiled, or so I thought. "At my apartment?"

Alice was gob smacked when she heard the words I said. I know, talking to Royce is not such a good idea, but he is the father of my baby; I can't deny that fact. She wanted to argue, but didn't. I kissed her good-bye and followed Royce to his car. We didn't talk much on the way to his apartment – it was better off that way.

He helped me get out of the car when we arrived and ushered me to his apartment. The inside was very modern – the walls painted white, modern desks and chairs and furniture filled the house.

He motioned for me to sit down on the couch and took off his coat. "How are you?"

"What kind of a question is that?" I mumbled, "I'm fine, if that's what you want. You moved here to Seattle when you left me?"

He sat down beside me and held my hand; I haven't felt his touch for months, and I was surprised to see that I didn't even miss his touch, or want him to touch me. It was as if he didn't become a part of my life.

"Yes, and I'm sorry. I wasn't just prepared," he whispered. His face showed stress lines, and I noticed he looked old already.

I removed my hand from his. "Look, if you want to be a part of the baby's life, fine." I paused and stood up. "I'll let you visit her sometimes."

"Our baby's a girl?" he changed the subject.

I sighed, "Yes. I'll name her Blythe."

He smirked. "Blythe? That's an old name, Rose."

How dare he say that? After all I've been through for my baby; he still had the nerve to say that. "I like that name, and if you don't like it, you have nothing to do to change my mind."

He suddenly looked outraged. "You begged me to leave Forks, pleaded to go to Rochester. Did I say a word about that? Did I cross your pleads? No! And now you're blaming me for doing something I wasn't prepared of! You wouldn't even let me name my baby!"

Anger, doubt, and fear burst out inside me, making me on the verge of crying. Blythe was nudging my belly now, and I tried to ignore her. "You did this! You promised me that you'd get me out of Forks! I did not beg you!" I struggled to keep my composure, and forced back my tears.

I knew he lost his temper at that moment, and it took only seconds for me to realize what he was about to do. He was walking towards me now, enraged. I almost stumbled to a coffee table but managed to swerve and get to the door and started to go down the stairs when Royce caught my arm.

"You're not going anywhere, missy. We're not done yet," he muttered.

I struggled to get out of his grip, and everything happened too fast. Still fighting off his grip, Royce suddenly let go of my arm. The time I had to react wasn't enough – I lost balance. The next thing I knew, I felt pain in every part of my body; I felt blood ooze from my forehead, and then everything went blank.

* * *


	7. Mommy wasn't strong enough

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

I felt numb and tired, and I tried to open my eyes. The light hurt my eyes a little, as if I was asleep for so long. I looked around and saw Alice and Jasper. "Where am I?" I can't believe how weak my voice sounded.

Jasper froze in his place, and Alice rushed to my bedside. "Rosie," she whispered, brushing my hair with her fingers. "You're in a hospital."

Panic hit me like a baseball bat. "What happened? Why am I here?" I trembled.

Alice turned to look at Jasper, and I knew at that moment that I wasn't going to like what they're going to tell me.

Jasper slowly went to my bedside and held my hand. "I'm sorry, Rose. Blythe is…" he trailed off. He didn't need to continue what he had to say; I knew instantly what happened. I don't know how to react, what to say, what to do. I just held Jasper's hand firmly as my tears silently strolled down my cheeks.

I don't know how long I cried, how long I kept silent. Alice, Jasper, and the others were outside my room, waiting for me to do something. Esme couldn't fight back her tears when she found out about what had happened, but I just sat in my bed, motionless even when Esme and the others hugged me.

Somehow, I didn't want to believe my baby is gone. I gently stroke my belly and waited for my baby girl to nudge, just like the other times. I waited, but there was no response. Again, tears strolled down my face.

"I'm so sorry, baby… Mommy wasn't strong enough…" I whispered in between sobs. The yearning I felt lingered much stronger and doubled the pain I felt. "I'm sorry, Blythe," I continued. I blamed myself for not being careful, for ignoring my baby when she nudged me while I was arguing with Royce. My baby was trying to stop me, but I ignored her. And now, my only hope is gone.

And then, everything rushed back to me. I remember Royce suddenly let go of my arm, how he panicked when he realized I fell down the stairs, how he shouted for help. Right then, the anger I felt for him doubled. A part of me blamed him much more…a part of me blamed him for the death of my beloved child…the child who never got a chance to see the world waiting for her. I blamed Royce for everything.

"Aunt Rose?" A tiny voice startled me.

I wiped my tears and looked around and found Nessie with Edward near the door.

Edward guided Nessie towards my bedside. "Are you okay, Aunt Rose?"

I didn't know what to tell Nessie, she was just a child. She wouldn't understand what I was going through. "I'm fine…" I croaked.

"Everything's going to be okay," Edward whispered. "I know everything will be okay."

I just shook my head. I didn't want to believe what Edward had said. How could everything be okay if the only love of my life, the child I've loved and yearned for...my only hope, is already gone? How could I possibly go on with my life? I remembered what I told Jasper before, that I could go through every problem because I know he'd be there to help me. But now, I feared I could never be okay again.

"The doctors said your injuries will take time to heal, especially your head wound and your battered rib," Edward explained. "Carlisle wants to know if you want to stay here or go home tonight."

"Carlisle can take care of my wounds, I want to go home," I said, forcing back my tears. I mustered all the strength I have left and looked at Edward. "Where's Royce?" I asked with much disgust.

Edward hesitated, as if he didn't expect me to ask that. "Uh, he, um…when we arrived here at the hospital, he was already gone. Jasper and I tried to look for him…"

"But he was gone like the wind," I finished Edward's sentence. My pain and tears turned into anger and hate towards Royce. I can't believe he could leave me again after killing my baby.


	8. Moving on

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

I spent the next couple of months doing what Carlisle told me to do – relax and let my wounds heal. Well, not all of it. The hole that was now craved in my heart will never heal again. Ever. I spent almost every night crying and mourning my baby's death. _She wasn't even born…_ I kept telling myself.

Jasper would always come inside my room and sit with me for hours, trying to make me feel better. It came to a point when I got so upset that I even shouted at Jasper for trying to comfort me. Esme would sometimes check in on me, too. Her motherly tone was somehow soothing, but wasn't enough. Even Edward sometimes drops by in my room to talk to me. I still remember our first real conversation after my accident.

***

"_Rose," he said as he sat down at the foot of my bed. "How are you?"_

_I gave him a wry smile. "I'm fine."_

"_You've been sulking here in your room for months."_

"_So?" I snapped sarcastically._

_He shook his head and sighed, "That's really not helping your health right now."_

"_Do you even care?"_

_His forehead creased. "Of course I care. You're my cousin."_

"_What in the world are you up to, Edward?" I can't hide my irritation now._

_He reached for my hand and patted it. "I want to make things better between the two of us."_

_I smirked, "Now you want to make up with me? That's so not you, Edward. You felt pity for me because of my ill-fated life so you decided to make up?" I didn't mean to say that out loud._

_His face became full of compassion and worry. "No, Rosalie. It's not like that."_

"_Esme told you to do that, then." I sounded sarcastic and bitter._

"_No," he shook his head and leaned closer to me. "I want this, Rose. Believe it or not, I do. And I'm not doing this because Esme told me to do so, and most certainly not out of pity."_

_Sincerity overwhelmed Edward's voice, and that was when I felt my guard fall down. I cried and buried my face into Edward's chest._

"_Its okay, Rose," Edward hushed and rubbed my back to soothe me._

"_I'm sorry for being a bitch back then, especially to Bella," I croaked._

"_That's past now," he quoted what I told him when I got back from Rochester._

***

How could I ever start living my pathetic life again? The only thing that was keeping me sane was my family. If it wasn't for them, I'd be dead by now. Seriously, the thought of ending my own life entered my mind a few days after I had lost my baby.

After a few weeks of mourning, I decided to start to move on with my life. That announcement surprised my family. Esme and Carlisle would check on me every now and then, in case I break down again. Jasper and Alice always made me feel comfortable, so I wouldn't sulk in my room and cry. I am slowly getting better, really. But the hole in my heart will never be closed again. There are still times, like when I am alone in my room at night, when I cry over my baby and everything that had happened in my life. Sometimes I still wonder if I will ever have a happy ending.

It has now been two months, three weeks, and one day since I had a miscarriage.

"Rose, thank you so much for coming here with me," Bella said as she pushed the grocery cart.

I laughed softly and took two large cans of spaghetti sauce. "Well, I know you'd need an extra hand today because Esme and Alice have made a long shopping list for Nessie's party."

Bella's cell phone beeped and she looked flushed when she finished reading the message. "Rose, can you go to the bakeshop and order a cake for Nessie's party?" she asked, sounding a little bit embarrassed. Bella has been a little preoccupied and hectic since we started planning and preparing for Nessie's birthday party two days ago.

I was about to smile and calm her down but she started speaking again in a hurry. "I didn't really mean to go and tell you to order a cake but Jasper kind of forgot to order it when he went out this morning to order cake because Esme's too busy preparing for the other stuff we'll have for Nessie's…oh, forget it. Edward just sent me a message saying Jasper forgot to buy the cake." Bella talked too fast.

"Its okay, Bella, I don't mind at all." I said, patting Bella's shoulder. "Besides, the bakeshop is just a few steps away from this grocery mart, and we're almost done with the grocery list. I can go meet you at the parking lot later or you could go to the bakeshop after you finish here." I added.

I gave her a comforting hug before I headed out to the bakeshop. There were too many cute cakes to choose from – one was almost covered with arty flower icings, the others were decorated with cute candies and covered with sprinkles and colorful icings.

I was too preoccupied that I didn't even notice that someone was leaning beside me on the display counter of cakes.

"They're all too cute, huh?" a deep but soft voice asked with a playful tone.

I looked at the person beside me and was stunned. He was tall; about six feet something, and muscular. He has a round face with dimples and slightly curly, dark brown hair, giving him a childish look. I stared at him and looked straight into his soft brown eyes, and I felt something different; something unusual. It was like, in this moment the whole universe existed just to bring us together.

* * *


	9. Emmett McCarty

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

"Yeah," I smiled and said, turning my focus again on the cakes. Am I having butterflies in my stomach? "I can't decide what cake to choose."

He chuckled softly. "What kind of cake do you need?"

I looked again at him and suddenly, I started to blush. "A birthday cake for a four year old girl."

"Your daughter?"

"Oh no. No. The cake's for my niece." I answered hurriedly.

He grinned; his dimples showed off as his dreamy chocolate eyes glistened. "Oh, your niece. Well, I'd pick this one if I were you." he said, pointing his finger to a big cake intricately designed as a gift/present complete with ribbons.

Well, the one he pointed out really is adorable, and I think Nessie will like it.

"I'm Emmett," he said as he held out his hand, smiling. "Emmett McCarty."

I shook his hand; his touch was somehow comforting, and gave him a warm smile. "I'm Rosalie Hale."

He smiled and looked pleased. "Your name suits you."

Again, I blushed. At that instant, I knew that this man in front of me is a good man. His radiating aura was undeniably positive. I can even see it in his eyes, which glistens brightly as he grins and smiles, and his low bass voice is unconsciously soothing. With the dark curls...the dimples that showed every time he smiles...the strange innocence that seemed so out of place on a grown man's face...all of this made me feel something new...something I didn't expect...something I thought would never come my way... I pulled myself out from my thoughts and looked again at him. But before I could even answer, Bella came inside the bakeshop.

"Mrs. Cullen! Great to see you again," Emmett greeted when he saw Bella.

I was instantly confused. "You know her?"

Emmett looked back again at me and nodded. "Yep, we did the wedding cake for her wedding."

Oh…so he owns this bakeshop. Bella rushed to my side and managed to give Emmett a smile.

"Have you picked a cake yet?" she asked.

I pointed the cake that Emmett offered. "Um, Emmett suggested this one."

Bella was obviously pleased when she saw the cake. She quickly ordered it and gave the guy at the counter our address for delivery. "We'll need the cake tomorrow morning," she added before she came back to me.

"I'll deliver the cake myself." Emmett proposed.

Bella considered what he said for a moment. "Okay. You can even join the party. It's my daughter's birthday."

Emmett grinned again – oh how charming he looks like when he does that. "So you two are related?"

"Edward's my cousin." I explained.

He nodded and bade us goodbye as we left the bakeshop. I took one last glance at him before I closed the door.

"Is he new in town?" I asked Bella as I drove.

"No. His family opened the bakeshop a few years back; a year after you left, I think. Esme is good friends with Emmett's mom."

Everything became quite busy when Bella and I arrived at the house. Bella and Alice started preparing and decorating the garden where we will hold Nessie's party tomorrow, while I helped Esme prepare the food she'll cook tomorrow.

"Good night, Aunt Rosie." Nessie sweetly whispered as she peeked inside my room. Every night before she goes to sleep, she peeks inside each of our rooms and says goodnight. Carlisle taught her to do that.

"Sweet dreams, little princess," I replied as she closed the door.

Now I'm left alone again in my room. I hate this part. The darkness seem to have crept into my system, and I started to cry softly again. I still can't believe that my baby is gone. The image of Emmett McCarty's smile suddenly crept into my mind. His smile was very positive, and somehow, even though it's just from my thoughts, his smile held my strings together and soothed my pain.

* * *

A/N: Okay, I think their first conversation was not good enough. Sorry. Really sorry. :( I'll update as soon as i can. Thanks for the reviews, and a big thanks to PokieDots for the warm reviews. Happy new year. :)


	10. Socializing

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

I smiled triumphantly as I looked at my reflection in the mirror. The combination of the nude blouse and pink skirt looked fabulous on me, as well as the nude peep-toe heels I wore. Well, anything will look good on me. I let my hair wave loosely and wore some long necklaces and a couple of bangles. I took out my present for Nessie from my drawer and went downstairs.

Esme was busy finishing the lasagna she was baking, and Carlisle was busy preparing the dishes we'll use. Alice and Jasper were starting to organize the guests outside, while Edward and Bella were still upstairs with Nessie. I placed my gift on top of the other gifts and went to the garden to help Jasper and Alice. I almost bumped into Chief Swan when I opened the door.

"Rosalie!" he greeted exuberantly and gave me a formal hug. I haven't seen Chief Swan since I left the hospital months ago, and he looks healthier now. "You look dashing, as always."

"Thanks," I replied. "You look good, too. Bella and Nessie are upstairs."

He nodded curtly and entered the house. There were too many people here, and some of them were new faces to me. I caught a glance of Angela Weber, now Ben Cheney's happy wife, and Mike Newton with that girl from our school…Jessica? Never mind. And Ms. Cope and Mr. Banner were even here. How did Alice manage to invite all of these people?

Speaking of Alice, she really did a fantastic job for Nessie's party. The garden was decorated and filled with colorful balloons and flowers. This certainly is Alice's thing. If she wasn't here, I don't know how Bella would process Renesmee's birthday party.

I watched the little children – Nessie's playmates – as they played happily at the small playground Carlisle and Edward built for Nessie. The kids looked like they were living in another world, enjoying themselves. Some boys were playing in the sand box, while the little girls were playing with the dolls they brought. And the rest of the other kids were playing at the kiddie slide. Some of the mothers watched carefully while their children played. I felt jealous and envied the proud parents of those adorable children.

"Rosalie!" a familiar voice called out. I looked around and saw Emmett McCarty at the driveway with the huge box of cake in his arms. He looked goofy in a cute way as he balanced the box of cake in his arms.

"Did you just arrive?" I asked as I hurriedly walked towards him.

He shifted his head to his left side so he could see me clearly. "Well, sort of."

"Come on, I'll lead you to the kitchen." I said, helping him with the cake.

We managed to get past through all the guests at the garden and eventually made our way to the kitchen.

"Mr. McCarty!" Carlisle greeted as we entered the kitchen and helped us place the cake on the vacant counter.

"Please, call me Emmett." He said as he straightened his crisp white shirt.

Carlisle nodded gently. "So, you've met our Rosalie."

"Yeah," he said as he looked at me dearly. "She's rather fetching."

I almost fainted when he said that. Usually, I just accept that kind of compliment, but knowing it was from him made me feel like a teenager who just met in person her celebrity idol. "Thanks," I said.

"Um, do you mind if I ask you to come with me to my car? I left my present for your niece there." Emmett sort of blushed when he asked.

I couldn't help but smile and blush, too. "I don't mind at all."

Esme, who was almost done with the lasagna, gave me a warm smile. I didn't need to have a mind reading ability to know what's in her head; she was glad that I was starting to socialize again.

We silently walked to his car which was parked a few steps away from the driveway. I began to wonder why I seem to feel so happy and hyped up when he's around. He seems to have put a spell on me; what a silly thought. A couple of heads turned when we brushed past them, some even wondered out loud if I was going out with Emmett. Going out? I just met the guy yesterday. But it would be nice if I had the chance to get to know him more.


	11. Fragile

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

"What do you think of my gift?" he asked as he handed me the big rectangular box.

"You haven't told me yet what's inside this box," I said, grinning like a little girl.

"Oh," he chuckled softly. "It's a teddy bear. I really don't know what to give a little girl for her birthday; all I have are nephews."

"Well, this bear will do." I said with a smile.

Alice caught sight of us and jogged merrily towards us. "Hey, Emmett. Rosalie invited you?"

Emmett looked over at me and smiled, "No, Bella did. But she was with Bella when she invited me."

Alice took Emmett's present to include it with the other presents inside the house. I could already see the pile of presents even from here. I led Emmett to the empty swing which was a bit far away from other people.

"This is a big party for a little kid," he said with an amused tone.

I sat down and motioned for him to sit beside me. "Well, Alice loves grand parties."

"I remember Bella and Edward's wedding party. It was like a town event," he paused and looked at me. "Why weren't you there?"

His question caught me off guard. I looked down on the ground. "I left Forks after I graduated almost four years ago."

"Where did you go?" his tone was full of curiosity.

"Rochester." I didn't like talking about my past…but still, I felt obliged to answer all of his questions, no matter how painful the answer is.

He sat back and was silent for a moment. "Why did you go there?"

"My ex-boyfriend…he brought me there." I fought hard not to tremble as I spoke. "But life there wasn't what I expected so I came back."

"And where's your ex?" he paused and looked like he was considering something. "Well, don't answer that. I'm sorry for asking, anyway," he said with a thoughtful tone.

I managed to regain my composure and let out a small smile. "He's gone; I don't know." I hope I didn't sound too sad or pathetic.

He patted my shoulder reassuringly and grinned. "You know what; let's not talk about that anymore. It was my bad for starting that topic."

His optimism made me smile again and lighten up. There's something about him that makes me feel comfortable and light. But in that same moment, when I looked at his warm eyes, I saw something I did not expect. I saw a glint of emptiness in his chocolate eyes.

"Hey guys," Jasper called out. "Nessie's here."

***

All of us surrounded Nessie as Edward carried her to her birthday cake. Nessie beamed with delight and gushed that the cake was pretty; she is such an adorable child. Watching her made me think of Blythe and imagined how it would make me feel as I watch her grow up. I fell silent and fragile again. Although I didn't want to, I can't help but tremble slightly at the thought of my unborn child. I'm really trying hard not to make myself so…fragile.

"Are you okay?" Emmett's voice pulled me out of my misery.

He looked at me with compassionate eyes and a trace of worry. "I'm okay, I'm fine." I said and tried hard to kick out my thoughts about my baby girl. Luckily, the presence of other people, as well as Emmett's comforting voice, lightened my mood.

I turned back again and was just in time to see Nessie blow her candles. Charlie, the proud grandfather, cheered as Nessie blew the candles one by one. Esme was on the other side, taking pictures with Carlisle who was video recording the whole scene.

After blowing her candles, Esme took pictures of Edward and Bella with Nessie, and then a picture of Charlie carrying Nessie.

"Family picture!" Emmett boomed. Esme gladly gave him the camera and went to huddle with us. Edward, Bella, and Renesmee were at the middle of the group; Alice, Jasper and I were at their left side, while Esme, Carlisle, and Charlie were on the right side. We all smiled and beamed happily as Emmett took our family picture while the guests cheered and watched.

After the picture taking moment, I spent most of my time watching Emmett as he played with Nessie and enjoyed every bit of it. He looks like a good father figure.


	12. He likes you!

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

Emmett stayed and helped us clean up after the party, which was so nice of him. He kept on teasing Bella about how she panicked before her wedding, and I found it amusing. He seems to blend perfectly with us. He even stayed and watched as Nessie opened her gifts; he also insisted that she open his gift first.

She clutched the teddy bear tightly in her arms as she opened the other gifts. Nessie saved for last each of the family members' present for her. Jasper and Alice gave her a set of new designer clothes; Carlisle and Esme gave her books to read. It was my gift that she was starting to open now. She pouted because the gift was small, but was instantly delighted when she opened the box. She ran towards me and asked me to place on her the charm bracelet with small ballerina pendants. Finally, she opened her parents' present for her – a locket with their family picture inside and an inscription.

Emmett left the house after Nessie opened the gifts and thanked the rest of the family for the wonderful party. I walked with him to his car and watched as he pulled out of the driveway. I wanted him to stay for some reason.

"I think he likes you," Alice claimed when I entered the house.

I suddenly felt like I was on a hot seat as everyone turned their gaze on me.

"And you two look good together," Jasper added.

I felt my cheeks blush and couldn't help but smile. I helped Esme pick up the rest of the gift wrappers. Esme looked like she was about to explode with joy.

"You really look comfortable with him," she whispered.

"Well, I am surprised that I feel that way towards him."

She smiled again and went on with the wrappers. "He's a nice man, I know his family. He's always had that lively soul in him that makes others comfortable with him."

"Don't you like him?" Alice buzzed in excitedly.

"Um…" I searched for something to say. "I don't know. I only met him yesterday."

Alice clapped her hands happily and started humming a love song, as if she read between the lines and knew that my answer is 'Yes, I like him'.

***

"Rose, wake up!" Alice whispered excitedly.

I groaned and looked at the clock – 8 AM. "Alice, what do you want?"

She lifted a bouquet of red roses with lilacs and lavenders. "It's from Emmett!"

I instantly felt flattered and blushed. Alice handed me the bouquet and read the note in it:

Rosalie,

Like your violet-shaded eyes,

These lavenders and lilacs make me smile;

And the roses…

Well, they're breathtaking, just like you.

I stared at the note, not knowing how to react. But one thing I was sure of – my world became a thousand times better because of the note written on this single piece of paper. I wanted to scream my lungs out like a teenager and jump out of bed and find Emmett. I couldn't help but read the note over and over again and smile.

"Rose!" Alice called.

I blinked a few moments and looked at Alice, who I completely forgot about.

"He likes you!" she chanted lovingly and hugged me.

Alice's optimism added brightness to my super bright morning. "Did he bring this himself?" I asked.

"Yes!" Alice squealed with excitement. "He's downstairs, waiting for you!"

He's here? Oh my god! I'm not even dressed properly yet. My mind panicked and I jumped out of my bed and went straight into my bathroom and took a shower.

"Alice!" I called out, hoping she was still in my room.

"I know, I'll tell him to wait." She said as if she read my mind before leaving my room.

I rummaged through my closet and found a pair of jeans and a purple blouse and paired it with black flats. I blow-dried my hair as quick as I could and tied my hair up. I kept thinking of reasons why I feel that way towards Emmett – like my day suddenly becomes like Christmas when he's around. Like yesterday, my thoughts and longing for my baby just popped up, and was completely erased when I heard his voice.

Trying to be as calm and as normal as I should be, I strode down the stairs and tried to hide a smile when I saw Emmett playing with Nessie.


	13. Royce ruins the day

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

"Aunt Rose!" Nessie called out when she saw me.

Emmett turned to look at me and grinned. "I hope I didn't wake you up."

"Well, Alice woke me up. Thanks for the flowers." I couldn't help but blush.

He stood up and grinned again, as if my blushing completed his day. "You look amazingly adorable when you blush."

My heart started to beat faster than it should. I felt like I could do this with him for an eternity. Jasper seems to have heard what Emmett said and took Nessie to the kitchen so the living room was left to us.

"So…the note on the bouquet…" I said as I sat down on the couch, not removing my eyes from his.

He did the same and slumped on the couch casually. "I woke up this morning and the flowers were the first thing that came to my mind. The note…well, it's a lame attempt to try to be poetic…but you really are breathtaking." He laughed with humor. "I couldn't fight the urge to see you." He gently held my hand. "Is it okay if I take you out today? I hope I'm not being too fast or anything."

He sounded so sincere and warm. "I don't mind. In fact, that's a great idea." I said with a smile.

"Great!" he beamed. "I was sort of expecting that answer."

I giggled and went back to my room and took my purse. I told Alice that I'll be gone for the day, and her reaction was, as expected, happy. She told me that she wants _details_ about my day with Emmett when I get home. I assured her that this will just be a get-to-know each other date, but she still insisted.

Emmett stopped at the parking lot of the grocery mart and looked kind of embarrassed. "I hope you don't mind, I forgot to buy something."

I giggled when I saw the look on his face and told him I'll wait for him here at the parking lot. I stepped out of the car and watched Emmett as he jogged towards the grocery mart. I still can't believe that someone like him will come into my life. And, even more interesting, is things are getting fast between the two of us. We just met each other the other day…and now, look where we're getting.

I enjoyed the cool breeze of the air as it touched my skin. For the first time since I had a miscarriage, I felt happy again. Genuinely happy. As much as I want to deny it, Emmett definitely made an impact in my life. For the first time since I had a miscarriage, I felt like I could be complete again.

In an instant, I felt pathetic again as I saw a familiar car park beside Emmett's. The anger, hatred, and pain that I have locked away protested and burst out. I couldn't believe that there will be a day that I'll see Royce again.

He walked towards me with wary eyes, and I glared at him angrily, hoping that would scare him away. But being the bastard that he is, he still came forward.

"Don't you even dare to come near me." I said, full of disgust.

He outstretched his hand, as if trying to reach me. "I am truly sorry, Rosalie."

"Don't even say my name. Go away." I sneered at him. I couldn't hide my anger. I wanted to kill him _badly_. I wanted him to suffer like I did for the past two months. I wanted him to wither like a dying flower.

I saw Emmett emerge from my peripheral view and I could tell that he was alarmed by the obvious hatred in my face. He dashed to my side as fast as he could. Royce looked intimidated when he saw Emmett and tried hard not to make an eye contact with Emmett.

"Rose…I really am sorry." He said unabashedly.

I glared deeper into his eyes; I'd roar if only I could. "Stop saying my name! Go away before I do something you'd regret later!" I snapped at him.

Emmett put down whatever he bought and was quick to wrap his left arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him. That made me calm down a little.

"Listen to her, bud. I swear if you so much as talk to her, I will make sure that you'd regret whatever you have done to Rosalie_._" Emmett glared coldly at Royce.

Royce flinched and shivered slightly. "Mind your own business." He sputtered.

Emmett kissed my forehead and removed his arm around me and shoved Royce as hard as hell on the street lamp near him. Royce became whiter than snow and looked downright scared.

* * *

A/N: So...it's 4 in the morning and Yiruma's River Flows in You (it's a _great_ piece) willed me to write all the last three chapters and post it as fast as I could. Oh well, I'm going to sleep now. I hope you guys like it. :) Much love.


	14. Not just an average guy

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

Royce struggled to get out of Emmett's clutch but Emmett's grip was firm. Royce doesn't stand a chance against Emmett.

"I am not going to repeat myself, punk. I suggest you leave _NOW_ before things start to get ugly." Emmett's tone was harsh and vicious.

He let go of Royce and rushed back to my side and wrapped his arms around me protectively. Royce struggled to regain his balance and tried not to look scared but failed.

"You'll be sorry for this." He sneered towards Emmett, and then looked at me. "Come on, Rose, just -"

Before Royce could finish his sentence, Emmett lunged towards Royce and punched him in the gut and in the face. Royce screamed like a little girl as his nose started to ooze blood.

"You are one son of a bitch." Emmett muttered, disgust obvious in his voice. Emmett pulled me closer to him, making sure I was safe in his arms. I rested my head on his chest.

"Go away. Never _ever_ come near to Rose or else, I swear to God I will be your _hell_." Emmett's voice was still ferocious.

I never expected him to act like this – so protective, but then again, he doesn't look like just an average guy. He's got an intimidating burly body; anyone who'd see him glare would quiver and be scared. But when he talks to me, he's very gentle and positive. I now saw both sides of Emmett – the tough protective side, and the gentle loving side. This fact made me even more attracted to him.

Royce faltered as he ran to his car. I stood firmly, wrapped around in Emmett's arms as we watched Royce pull out of the parking lot. Emmett looked at me and cupped my face between his hands.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" he asked with overwhelming concern when Royce's car was out of our sight.

The anger and pain that burst out in me slowly faded away as I looked at Emmett's innocent eyes. Now, I felt secured and protected and loved. "I'm okay. He didn't touch me."

"Good," he muttered. He kissed my forehead again and picked up the grocery bag he dropped earlier and placed it at the backseat of his car. He then opened my door side and tucked me on the seat. "That jerk almost ruined my day." He said as he climbed onto his seat and started the car.

We were silent for the rest of our trip. I wondered where we were going, but one thing I know is we were still in Forks. He stopped the car in front of an empty lot and was quick to open my door and ushered me as I stepped out of the car. The empty lot was huge enough, overlooking a stream of river at the far end, and I could make out a small pathway to the river. Trees swayed with the breeze of air, and flowers were blooming everywhere.

Emmett took out everything from the backseat of his car. It was only then that I realized he had planned a picnic. He told me to wait by the car as he laid out the blanket on the grass and spread out a container of bread, tuna, and other ingredients for a tuna sandwich, a bottle of wine and a couple glasses. I looked at him with awe as he moved. He is really not just an average guy. He's a big guy, but very gentle and sweet. Now I realized that I am content just to be with him.

When he was done organizing the cute scenario, he went back to me and held my hand as we walked to the picnic area. I couldn't help but smile as we walked hand in hand; his touch made me feel happy, comfortable, and ecstatic all at the same time.

I sat down at the blanket he laid out and watched him as he propped himself on the blanket. I swear I could live like this forever. "This place is so fascinating." I said as I looked around once more.

"I fell in love with this place the first time I laid my eyes on it." He said as he started to make a sandwich. "I hope you like tuna sandwich." He added playfully.

I giggled and nodded. "You really did expect me to answer yes, eh?"

He grinned and handed me the sandwich he made. We ate in silence and I was amused as he munched down three sandwiches fast. He said a guy his size will really eat like that, and it's true. He poured wine on our glasses after we ate.

"Was that guy from the parking lot your ex?" he asked cautiously.

I nodded and took a sip from my glass. "He was the reason I became so…" I trailed off. No words could ever describe the way I felt about my past…my life. I was too afraid to show him how hollow and empty I felt. I never let anyone, not even Alice or Esme, know the way how I feel about my ill-fated life. Only Jasper knows how much pain and longing I felt inside. And the way I see things, I want to keep it that way – locked deep inside my heart.

Emmett inched closer to me and held my hand. "You can tell me anything you want, Rosie." His gentle voice caressed my feelings.


	15. You made me feel loved

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

I stared at our hands as they intertwined and listened to the low swooshing the river made. I mustered all the courage I have left and stared deeply into Emmett's eyes. "Would you like to hear my story?" I asked, but did not wait for his reply.

"When Jasper and I were eight years old, our parents died. We were at Esme and Carlisle's house, playing with Edward and Alice when the police called Esme. Carlisle explained everything to us and he was the one who took care of our parents' funeral. After their burial, Carlisle decided to take care of us and loved us like we were their own children."

I paused and heaved a deep sigh. "Since then, I felt empty. I longed for my parents everyday and wished they didn't die. Jasper was the only one I confided my feelings to. He was the only one who understood my pain. When we got older, I became the school's center of attraction and the attention partially substituted the longing I felt. Although I loved the attention, I never really did let anyone in my life, that's why everyone pressumed I'm a stuck-up person. That's when I met Royce."

I saw Emmett wince when I said Royce's name and gently squeezed my hand. "He was sweet and promising at first and told me that he'd take me to Rochester after we graduate, and he did. Our first few months together were okay. I worked as a designer in his family's boutique and earned myself a reputation in New York. And then, a few years later…he started changing. He'd come home late and drunk most of the time."

Emmett wiped away the tears that were starting to form in my eyes and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. He listened intently, and I was grateful for that.

"And then, I became pregnant." His eyes widened a bit as I watched his reaction. "He left me when he found out, and that's when I came back to Forks. It was hard at first, especially with Jasper. He couldn't accept what Royce has done. Eventually, everything became fine. My whole family eagerly anticipated my baby's arrival. I actually decided on what to name my baby – Blythe."

I took a deep breath and tried to fight back my tears, but failed. "Royce saw me in a restaurant and pleaded to talk to me. I agreed, and I admit that was pretty stupid. We talked in his house and got into a fight and I ended up falling down the stairs. My baby…my baby died and…everything became dull…"

For a moment, I just stared at the water's beautiful glow and listened to the low hush of the stream. I just let my feelings release and then, I started crying. Emmett was there through the whole thing – he caressed me in his arms whenever I cried harder; he soothed me with his gentle voice as he tried to comfort me; and when I was back to normal, he sat beside me, never removing his arm around my shoulder. The way he comforted me somehow filled the hole in my heart that was left open when my baby died – the hole that kept on getting bigger everyday.

As his presence filled that hole, I was now sure that he was the one thing that will complete me – the one who would heal all my wounds and give a new spark in my life. I rested my head on his shoulder and gently, he locked his fingers with mine.

"You didn't wish for that to happen." Emmett gently spoke. He pulled me closer to him and hugged me and rubbed my back to soothe me.

"Thank you…for being here…for listening." I said slowly as I regained composure. He smiled and looked at me with sincere eyes and kissed my forehead.

"Promise me you'll _never_ cry again." He said, hugging me tightly. "I don't want to see you crying, do you understand?"

He reminded me of my father when he'd tell me that I am supposed to be brave and tough. His words made me feel stronger. "Okay." I croaked.

"You know, I've never met someone as strong as you." He said, brushing my hair.

_Me?_ Strong? "What are you talking about?"

He smiled warmly. "You still have the courage to wake up every morning knowing that you'd face another lonesome day; another day without your child, another day without anyone beside you. I admire you for that." He paused and looked at me again. "You know, I've dated a lot of girls, but I didn't find any of them amusing or interesting at all. But when I saw you at the bakeshop…when I saw you deciding what cake to buy, I felt a connection – like I suddenly had the urge to protect you when I saw your empty eyes."

I smiled and felt content in his arms. The way he talked to me was so gentle and straight it made me blush. I felt like I finally found a home in Emmett's arms.

"You must feel sorry for Royce for breaking your heart." Emmett whispered, gently touching my cheeks.

"Why?"

He smiled and looked at me. "Because one day he will just wake up and realize that he had the world, but he let it go."

That was very…touching. "Thank you for coming into my life. You made me feel loved." I said, and without thinking, I leaned forward and kissed him.

* * *

A/N: Whew...fifteenth chapter...there you go. Thanks again for the warm...well, wonderful reviews! :) And I hope this is a good enough 'thank-you-chapter' for you guys. Oh, and...I hate Royce, too. Any suggestions for him (if you want him to appear again in the story, which I doubt :p)?


	16. First Kiss, Plans, Happiness

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

"Thank you for coming into my life. You made me feel loved." I said, and without thinking, I leaned forward and kissed him.

Our kiss was soft and tender at first, but after a few breaths in between, it became stronger and full of passion. Our bodies intertwined like perfect pieces of a puzzle. He pulled me closer and closer to him, making the urge and passion I felt for him stronger.

We were locked like that for a couple of moments, enjoying the warmth of each other, and when we finally stopped kissing each other, we lay down on the blanket and watched the beautiful shade of the setting sun.

"I've never felt so sure in my life." Emmett whispered as we lay side by side.

I rolled to his arms and brushed his fine cheeks. "So sure about what?"

He smiled like I was supposed to know the answer. "About _you._"

"Some part of me thinks that this is just a dream. And if this _is_ a dream, I don't want to wake up. I never thought that there will be someone who will love me for who I am, not because I'm beautiful." I whispered.

"You are beautiful, _inside_ and out. People just don't take their time trying to find that out."

Hearing those words…knowing he is sincere…being in his arms…everything about this day was so perfect. And most of all, I have never been this happy in my life.

***

My cell phone started to buzz angrily again inside my pocket for the third time. I really wanted to answer the call, but I didn't want Alice to 'shush' and 'sheesh' me – yes, _shush_ and _sheesh;_ she already did that to Bella when she started to complain about Alice's plan. So I really felt sorry for whoever was calling me. Alice was giving us – the whole family, including Nessie - some 'talk' about her plans and she didn't allow us to entertain _any _distractions. Even if Alice is a small person, she is fierce. She talked like a big boss of a company with elegance and determination, and I could sense a little tinge of excitement on her voice. When her 'talk' ended, I heard Bella heave a sigh and looked at me like she was asking for help.

Just as Alice told us the conversation was done, my phone buzzed again. I fished it out of my pocket and looked at the number, and instantly felt sorry.

"Em, I'm so sorry for not answering your calls." I said as soon as I can.

He chuckled. "That's okay. Why weren't you answering your phone, anyway? Is everything okay there?"

"Yeah…Alice was just discussing something."

"And?" I could sense the curiosity in Emmett's voice.

I giggled and gave in. "She's planning on creating a fashion boutique at Port Angeles. And she has already planned everything – Esme and Bella will take care of the management stuff and Alice and I will do the designing."

"Sounds like fun. I'm sure Bella didn't like that, though."

"Right. But Esme talked her out of it, and she agreed." I laughed lightly when I remembered Bella pleading with Alice not to bring her in on her plan. "I miss you. Do you want to come over tonight for dinner?"

"Dinner sounds good. I'll be there around six. And, I miss you, too." His voice was just charming.

I somehow expected what his answer is going to be and I immediately anticipated tonight's dinner. I giggled excitedly. "Okay, I'll see you later. I love you."

Emmett chuckled again. "I love you more."

If only Emmett was here, he'd smile at the way I have blushed. I hung up the phone and was surprised to see Jasper behind me, smiling.

"I'm so glad you've met someone like Emmett." He said sincerely.

I gave my brother a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you. I have never been this happy in my life."

He grinned again; obviously happy for his twin sister. "That's why I am happy for you. And I know you'll be happier once you have started to build a family with him."

I embraced Jasper like a jolly little girl. I, too, am happy for myself once and for all. Just like what Emmett said, I have never been so sure about someone, until he came.

* * *

A/N: Okay, I admit. It's not that good. So sorry. My mind's just not in synch right now. But - here's the good part - I'm already planning on what to do with Royce (and I'm weighing most of the suggestions that i received...most of which are to have the Cullen boys and Emmett to beat him down). Anyways, I'm still open for any suggestions for the story. Once again, thanks for the reviews and the story alerts. It keeps me going. Really. Okay, I'm sound mushy right now. Kidding. But seriously, thanks. And I'm glad that you guys loved the previous chapter. :)


	17. Letting go

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

Nothing sounds more delightful than a family dinner. We've done this thing since we were young, but since Emmett started to have dinner here due to Esme's request, everything became more delightful and amusing. One night, he volunteered to stay until Nessie's bedtime so he could give her a bedtime story. The funny thing about that was he didn't have any clue about any bedtime stories but declined Edward's offer of making him read Nessie's books.

What he did was he created a story about a bunny army defeating an entire donkey empire. I know it sounded silly, but it was fun and Nessie enjoyed it. Even Edward found it funny. Emmett told the story complete with sound effects and he used Nessie's stuffed toys for his 'presentation', he even drew a picture of the bunny leader so Nessie could put it up on her personal bulletin board.

I was deeply amused to the memory of that night; I didn't notice that Emmett was already inside my room. He lunged at my bed and wrapped his arms around me when he landed and kissed me four times on both my cheeks and one tender kiss on the lips.

My cheeks turned red and I felt ecstatic once again. I laid my head on Emmett's broad chest. "How did you come up with the bunny-donkey story you gave Ness?" I asked playfully.

He stroke my hair absent-mindedly and laughed softly. "Well, I was thinking of a more fluffy character rather than soldiers and rebels."

"Seriously, a donkey?" I giggled.

He turned to face me. "Kids loved the donkey from Shrek."

I kissed him on his nose. "Speaking of which, I have photo copied the picture of you and Nessie during that night and I want to give you that copy. You two just look adorable together."

Emmett laughed and released me from his arms. I jumped out of the bed and went to my closet and took out the big box containing all the pictures I've collected. I didn't expect that picture to be over-piled within no time by the other latest pictures I put in here last night. I sat cross-legged on the floor and started digging through the photos inside the box. As I looked for the picture, I came across my copy of our family picture taken during Nessie's birthday and smiled. Everyone looked so happy.

And then, I stumbled across a picture I haven't looked at for months. It was only a small photo with ranging colors from black to grey to a dirty white. As I looked at the photo, tears rolled down my face and I started to tremble and let out a soft whimper.

Emmett heard me and jumped out from the bed immediately. "What's the matter, Rosie?" he asked worriedly.

I didn't answer or even look at him; I didn't want to remove my sight from the photo. Emmett sat beside me and put an arm around my shoulders. He looked at the photo I was holding and I felt him stiffen when he saw it.

"Rose," he started to whisper. "Is that Blythe?"

I whimpered again at the sound of her name. Yes, the photo I am looking at is Blythe's. This was the photo taken during the ultrasound I had when I was three months pregnant. My baby, so tiny and fragile, looked so peaceful in this photo, like a sleeping angel. But she was crushed and destroyed by her stupid father.

Emmett wrapped his arms around me tightly and kissed me lightly on my forehead. "Rose, it's okay." He took the photo away from my hands, "If Blythe is here, you know she wouldn't want you to cry." He whispered gently.

He's right. My daughter never wanted me to be sad. Whenever I felt lonely or down, Blythe would always give me a nudge, reminding me that she was there. Emmett's right. I weakly wiped away my tears and tried to regain composure.

"Always remember that Blythe and I are always here for you, so don't cry. I know for sure that Blythe is still alive – in your heart – so don't feel sad. And I'm here, too." Emmett once again caressed me in his words.

I rested my head on his arms and nodded, finding no voice to speak. I took his hands and intertwined his fingers with mine.

He kissed me again tenderly and looked at me with a smile, trying to make me feel strong. "Whenever you look at this photo," he pointed Blythe's ultrasound photo, "Never feel down. Instead, you should let go of all the pain you felt and turn it into courage. Courage and bravery and strength to never let something like that happen again; to never let anyone hurt you."

Everything Emmett said sounded so tempting, and he had a point. And at that moment, I took a deep breath and tried to let go of all the angst and pain that I locked deep inside my heart. In one blissful exhale, I felt clear and light as the tears representing those feelings rolled down my cheeks. Emmett wiped them away dutifully and waited for me to prevent those tears from flowing.

"Thank you…again. I'll probably never learn to let go if it wasn't for you." I smiled and looked at him with a weak smile.

He grinned; removing the feelings of pain left me. "That's my girl." He cupped my face between his hands and brushed his lips onto mine. "I told you not to cry again, remember?" he said when he pulled away from me.

I smiled sheepishly and nodded. I looked again on Blythe's photo and swore I would never let someone take away the people I cherish most from me. And I promised my baby that if I would be given a chance, I would put her death to justice.

Emmett suddenly gasped beside me. I shot up my head and looked at him.

"There's the picture you're looking for." He said and took the box, taking his photo with Nessie.

I looked at the photo and saw his ease with kids. I somehow hoped that someday, he could give me a baby that I have yearned for; that he could bring to life Blythe. I rested my head again on his shoulder and joined him in staring at the other photos in the box.


	18. Party

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

I flipped the pages of my phone book frantically. Ever since Alice and I began to start on our business essentials - the place to put it up, furniture for the shop, and all the other stuff for decorating it – everything became quite busy.

We found the perfect shop spot in Port Angeles two months ago - a two-storey building with a garden at the back, big enough to have three fitting rooms, a powder room, and a small kitchen. Esme did the whole interior redecorating and was done in two weeks, including the garden. She made the first floor look like a grand fashion boutique, and she made the second floor a lot like the living room in our house so we could hang out there after work hours, or Nessie could play there while Bella is working.

Working with the whole family was fun, and having Emmett by my side every step of the way, I never felt tired or lanky. Everything that needs to be done for the boutique was done within six weeks. All that needs to be done now is to plan the opening night party. Alice and I have even started to work on the dresses that we're going to wear.

I tapped my finger on the name I was looking for and started to dial the number. The phone was answered after three rings.

"Jenks catering services." The guy said on the other line.

"Hi, this is Rosalie Hale. I would like to book a party for Cullen Haute Couture this coming Friday." I stated clearly.

Scrambling of papers was audible on the other line. "Uh-huh…and what's the address?"

"1310 Port Angeles."

"What kind of party are you having and what time are you planning to start it?" the guy asked like he has asked that question a million times.

"It's our business' opening night. We're planning to start at five in the afternoon."

There was a short pause. "Okay, I'll have Mr. Jenks drop by your shop tomorrow for further plans."

"Thanks." I hung up the phone and went back to helping Alice with the dresses.

***

I looked over Nessie lovingly as she twirled around in her dress. Alice designed the dress perfectly for Ness – not too fussy, but not too average-y. She looked like a beautiful princess. Bella looked great in her dress, too; I could tell it from the way Edward looks at her. It was simple, but elegant.

Alice was beautiful, too. Her dress had a unique touch to it, and I just love the way how she carries herself. My brother and Alice looked perfect together.

Mine looked good on me, too. I didn't know that tangerine will look good on me, until Alice made this dress for me. The dress embraced the curves of my body perfectly. I let my hair wave loosely, as usual, and wore teal teardrop-shaped earrings.

A big pair of arms suddenly embraced me. The warmth and loving feeling made me feel intoxicated.

"You look gorgeous." Emmett whispered to my ear as he brushed his lips past my neck.

I smiled and placed my hand on his cheeks. "Don't do that yet, we're going to be busy tonight and I have to be focused."

Emmett laughed and pulled away from me to have a better look at me. "You know, you're too irresistible; I think I'm going to trail behind you all night long so that every guy won't dare to look at you."

I giggled and gave him a kiss. "Come on, Alice must be waiting."

Emmett and I walked to the garage where Alice and the others were waiting. We chose to use my convertible instead of Emmett's Jeep and trailed behind Alice's Porsche on the way to the shop.

Mr. Jenks and his catering men were perfectly in time. They had arranged everything according to plan when we got there. Alice beamed excitedly and reminded every waiter to be polite and smile all the time. Alice – she's just too enthusiastic and jolly.

Guests started to arrive one by one. Some of them were close family friends, some were people who have connections in every field, and some were classmates and friends when we were in high school. Everyone chatted and smiled and laughed as they shared some stories and I watched as each of my family chatted with their friends.

Emmett and I were always in the same place, and we walked hand in hand. I introduced him to some of my friends. Whenever a guy would look at me with 'desire', Emmett would tighten his arms around me and grin at the guy. He would kiss me whenever he had a chance.

"I really want to take you home now." Emmett whispered playfully when we were left alone by the bar.

I giggled and lifted a part of my dress. "It must be the dress, huh?"

He grinned and kissed me. He looked like he was about to say something, but did not continue. He just smiled again and gave me another kiss. I really could do this with him forever. Stay like this till the end of time.

I never expected that this night would become…_disastrous_.


	19. Intruder

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

A/N: Okay! Hmm…I don't know why I'm inserting a note here…I just want you to know that this chapter will be in…drum roll…Emmett's POV! There, I just thought that this chapter will be better in Emmett's side. Tell me what you think after reading. :) So…on with the story…

Emmett's POV

Rosalie just looked darn good tonight; I can't take my eyes off of her. Tangerine was perfect on her porcelain skin and added more charm to her smile and her beautiful pair of eyes. Back then, I never really paid attention to the women I dated – not because I wasn't taking it seriously, but because I didn't find them interesting. They were always just babbling about what they want and what they need, but Rosalie…_my_ Rosie…she's one of a kind; and I knew it the moment I laid my eyes on her when she came to the bakeshop.

Sure, she's the most appalling woman I have ever seen; her beauty is just mesmerizing, but the reason why I got interested in her was her eyes. Her eyes were a shade of violet, and they were empty back then, I could tell it even from afar. And that emptiness made me feel that I should protect her. At that moment, I felt like I needed to be a part of her life.

Turns out I was right; Rosalie did need protection from her psycho ex boyfriend. I can't believe how that man could leave her; kill their baby, and then pop out of nowhere to talk to her again. How could he do that? It was a good thing that I was there when he came back to talk to Rosalie, or else, something bad might have happened.

When Rose told me about her miscarriage, I felt sad for her. Why did she have to suffer like that? Why was she forsaken to lose what she wanted? I wanted her to have everything, and I vowed that day that I would do everything I could to make her happy. I realized that I completely fell for her when I brought her to the empty lot that I bought. I could tell from the smile on her face that she loved the place...and hopefully, I could build a house and start a family with her on that same lot.

Now, whenever she looks at me, I could see in her eyes that she is perfectly happy and contented – and I am happy to know that fact. Heck, I'm pretty lucky to have someone so beautiful…so unique like Rose.

Tonight was no difference; she introduced me to her friends and we chatted and mingled with some possible business pals and danced to the music. Alice must be proud of her shop – everything went pretty cool, including this party.

Some guys would occasionally look at Rose like she was a prize trophy or something, and I would wrap my arms around her and give the guy a grin to ward him off. Rosalie would blush every time I'd do that – and I like her when she blushes; she's just so irresistible.

Her friends went off to the garden and we were left alone by the bar. I smiled and looked at Rosalie. "I really want to take you home right now." I whispered playfully.

Rose giggled – oh, how I love it when she does that! Her giggles and laughs and smiles make me ecstatic. She lifted a small part of her dress and smiled. "It must be the dress, huh?"

It's not just the dress…it's _everything_ about you, I thought. And at that moment, a thought popped in my mind. I wanted to be with her now more than ever, and I want to be a part of her life and make her happy forever. I wanted to propose to her. But tonight's not the right night, I thought again. So I just smiled and kissed her again.

"Um, Emmett, can I excuse you for a brief second?" someone asked.

Rose and I pulled away from each other and saw Jasper in front of us. Rose blushed and I gave him a grin.

"Sure, Jazz. Why?" I asked as I stood up.

Jasper turned to Rose. "I'll excuse Emmett from you for a while. Alice and Bella are at the garden waiting for you."

What could be the deal now? Why can't Jasper tell me what he needs to tell me in front of Rosalie? Jasper turned to me again and grabbed me by my arm.

"I have to show you something." He whispered; his tone was full of…anger?

He ushered me to the front of the shop where the receptionist was telling a guy that he couldn't enter the party because his name is not on the list. I couldn't see the face of the guy, so I tilted my head sideward. _What the hell?! _I wanted to lunge and burst towards that direction but Jasper held me back.

"Edward's looking for Carlisle now. We should wait for them." Jasper said regretfully. I knew that he wanted to crush that damned man as bad as I do. We waited for about a minute and Edward arrived with Carlisle. Edward looked mad, too, and that look was something I never expected to see from him. And Carlisle, he still looked in charge without a strain of anger or anything.

He gave us a nod and walked into the lounge. Royce took a step back when he saw all four of us. The receptionist had a 'what's the matter' look in his face, and Edward seems to have noticed, too.

"You can go help the others at the party." He ordered the guy.

We waited for the guy to be completely out of sight before we fixed our eyes on Royce - the nerve of this guy to show up again. I clenched my fists; I am ready to rip his head off – just waiting for Carlisle's command.

"What are you doing here?" Carlisle asked ever so calmly.

Royce's eyes fluttered from Carlisle to me, and back to Carlisle. He looked like he went through a storm. "I want Rosalie. I want to talk to her."

Carlisle shook his head. "She's made the point of not talking to you very clear, Royce. And I will not allow you to come near her."

"So go away, you son of a bitch. Don't you ever come near Rose!" Jasper gushed angrily. I could see him clench his fists and shake slightly.

"I _WANT_ to talk to Rose!" Royce protested. "She's mine, we just had a misunderstanding! I need to talk to her! We could be back together again if we could fix this misunderstanding."

Did I hear him right? _Back together again?!_ What the hell is this guy up to? He left Rosalie about a year ago and killed her baby, and he thinks it's all a misunderstanding? I vowed never to let this man go near Rosalie, and if it would require me to hurt him, I will do it without hesitation. "Damn you." I said through gritted teeth.

Edward patted my arm and held me back – he probably knew that things could get ugly if someone didn't hold me back.

Carlisle turned to look at us with a fatherly and superior look on his face. "Boys," he whispered. "You go and take care of him. I'll handle everything here and explain it to Rosalie." He nodded to us one by one and went back to the party area.

Edward stuffed his hand on his pocket, fished out his car keys, and tossed it to me; it only meant one thing – it's on. He and Jasper grabbed Royce before he could run and dragged him to Edward's Volvo. He stuffed him at the back of the car and sat on each side of him so he could not have a chance to escape while I drove.


	20. Royce is going to pay

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

A/N: Ha! I just wanna tell you guys in advance that this is still in Emmett's POV. I like making this part in his side. I'm just too ecstatic right now, sorry for babbling…anyway, I hope you like this chapter.

Emmett's POV

I drove as fast as I could while Jasper and Edward held Royce at the back of the car. We agreed to do our _business_ some place where we could have privacy, and Edward happens to know an abandoned shelter near the port.

We didn't waste any time when we got there – we pulled Royce out of the car and turned on all the lights inside the place. Hundreds of different ways how to kill Royce entered my mind like a gush of water. I wanted him to suffer and feel how Rosalie felt when he ruined her life. Royce is going to pay.

"What are you going to do with me?!" Royce demanded frantically.

Edward and Jasper dragged him to the middle of the empty shelter and shoved him to the ground. Royce could do nothing now. He won't even be able to run past us.

Jasper clenched his fists once again. "We are going to teach you a lesson." He crouched and grabbed Royce by the collar. "When Rosalie came back here and told me that you left her when you found out that she's pregnant, I wanted to hunt you down and kill you." Jasper's voice was overwhelmed by anger. He hit Royce's chest with his elbow with too much impact. Royce gagged and tried to even out his breathing. He tried to reach and hit Jasper desperately, but Jasper was too fast for him.

The bloodlust I felt was too strong. If I wasn't a decent and sane man, I could have killed Royce already. Edward was silent, he just glared at Royce. And I could tell that he wanted to hurt him just as much as I do.

Royce shivered and started to sweat. "I was confused! I didn't mean to!"

Jasper shook him violently. "How could you do that to her?! I never said anything when you dated my sister, even though I hated to see her being with you! And then you killed her baby, you filthy son of a bitch."

He couldn't control his anger anymore; Jasper hit Royce on his gut wildly. Edward held back Jasper. Royce rolled on to the floor, curling to a ball, obviously in pain. He started to cry.

"I didn't want to hurt her…I didn't mean to kill my baby." He said in an angry voice.

Edward lost his temper. "That baby is not yours! You left Rosalie with that baby, and Rosalie is the only one who could claim that baby. Stop calling Blythe your baby!"

Jasper snickered. "You know, Royce, stop acting like you're a good man."

Jasper's right. "Jasper, Edward," I said out loud. Both of them looked at me and understood what I want immediately. They propped up Royce and held him. Royce struggled to free himself from Edward's and Jasper's grip.

"You know how much you hurt Rosalie, huh?" I asked, and without blinking, I lunged towards him and punched him in his gut violently thrice.

Royce crouched back and his knees started to wobble, but Edward and Jasper held him up tightly.

"She cried every night for the loss of her baby. And it's all your fault." Jasper glared down at Royce.

I cracked my knuckles and clenched my fists. "You ruined her life. Didn't you get the hint I gave you back at the parking lot? Huh? I told you to stay away from her!" With that, I lunged again and aimed for his face ferociously.

"Stop! I didn't mean to hurt her!" Royce cried out in agony. His nose started to ooze blood, as well as his lips. He still tried to get out of Jasper's and Edward's grip on him.

What he is having right now isn't even as hard as Rosalie felt when he ruined her life. This man doesn't deserve to live. He needs to learn his lesson.

Edward and Jasper propped Royce up again as he started to fall on the floor. "Rosalie almost took her own life, don't you know that?" Jasper said through gritted teeth.

Rose…almost took her life? She didn't tell me that part. Now I was enraged. This man caused her to almost end her life. I went again and hit him thrice, and I didn't care where my fists landed. All I really want now is to hurt him and make him feel physically the pain Rosalie felt.

"You never really cared about her." I said disgustingly. Again, I hit his face and then wiped off the blood in my knuckles.

I didn't expect Royce to be able to speak now. But, being the bastard that he is, he tried to regain composure and started to laugh. All three of us were puzzled as we watched Royce laugh.

"You know, big guy," Royce started to say as he controlled his demonic laugh. "Rosalie is just _using_ you to make me jealous."

What the hell?! "Crazy asshole." I muttered and hit him as hard as I could, and again, I didn't care where my fists landed; I just wanted to feel him shake and shiver as I send him punches. "Rosalie is not that kind of person. She will never do that." I said as I stopped beating him down.

For the last time, I lunged and punched Royce on his face and on his gut as hard as I could. "That's for Rosalie and Blythe." I said as I finished up with Royce. Edward and Jasper let go of Royce's arms and let him hit the ground. I watched as he curled into a ball and withered in pain. He couldn't even be recognized because his face was almost covered with blood.

"You deserve that." All three of us said in unison as we watched Royce. "Never _EVER_ come back here, or else, we will kill you." Jasper said menacingly.

I took a last look at Royce as he tried to stand up but failed, and then turned my back on him. I hope this would be the last time I would ever see his filthy face. Edward, Jasper, and I made our way out of the shelter and drove back to the party.

I completely lost track of time. When we got back, it was already around midnight and all the guests were gone. The catering crew was already cleaning up, and the rest of the Cullen family was waiting for us at the parking lot of Alice's shop.

Carlisle and Esme were in each other's arms; Bella was sitting with Nessie sleeping soundly on her lap; and Alice and Rosalie stood side by side.

Rosalie rushed to me when I got out of the car. I smiled at her and kissed her.

"Carlisle told us everything. Are you okay? What happened?" she asked worriedly. I could see the concern in her eyes.

I wrapped my arms around her. "Everything's fine. He won't bother you again."

"Did you kill him?" Bella asked with a grin.

All three of us laughed. "Almost." Edward replied.

They went back inside the shop, and Rosalie and I were left alone at the parking lot. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as she stood beside me in my arms. "You're safe now. No one's going to hurt you as long as I am here." I whispered.

Rosalie hugged me tighter and buried her face on my chest. "I love you, Emmett. I don't know what I will be if you didn't save me from my misery."

I kissed her forehead. "I love you, too, Rosalie Hale. Now and forever."

Rose looked at me and kissed me passionately. All I had in mind right now is how much I am willing to give myself to her and protect her. Rosalie will be the first and last woman who will own my heart. Nothing could ever take me away from her; and I would not let anything or anyone take her away from me.


	21. Proposal

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

A/N: Okay, from here on, it's back to Rosalie's POV. Thanks for reading this story and thanks a million for the reviews. And, I'm glad that you liked the last two chapters in Emmett's POV. And, for those who added this story on their favorite stories list…well, no words could express my gratitude. Haha! Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Please review. :)

I closed my eyes as I ran my hand across the grass and felt the cool breeze of air. Everything seems perfect now. I couldn't ask for more. "Em?" I asked.

He tightened his arm around me to assure me that he's still with me. It has been two weeks since they took care of Royce, and we haven't heard from him again since then. When Carlisle informed me that the boys took Royce somewhere to teach him a lesson, I became downright worried. Knowing Royce, he could have plotted something bad and was just baiting himself to get to us. Luckily, the most important men in my life – my cousin, my brother, and my life – returned in one piece.

I felt Emmett kiss my forehead. "You know how much I love you, right?" He asked and chuckled softly.

I looked up at him and cupped his face between my hands. "I know, and I love you for that. I love you just like the way you love me. You complete me."

He took my hands and kissed them both, and then kissed my nose playfully. "_You_ complete me."

I couldn't wish for anything more. I have a great family, and now I have my one true love by my side. I leaned towards Emmett and kissed him, locking my body with him perfectly. The wind suddenly blew stronger and tiny droplets of rain started to pour. We ignored it and continued kissing each other, until the rain poured harder.

I pulled away from Emmett, and he made a childish grin. "You're gonna let the rain stop us?"

I giggled and started to run across the lot. The idea popped up in my mind all of a sudden. "You'll have to catch me first." I yelled playfully.

Emmett let out a hearty laugh. "So you think that I wouldn't be able to catch you, huh?" He dared playfully.

I stopped from running and stuck out my tongue to tease him. I was about a few yards away from him. Emmett roared playfully and started to run. I screamed like a little girl and ran again. Emmett could catch me if he wanted to, but he chose to run slowly, enjoying the moment and letting me get a chance to run.

I felt like a child again as I ran through the grassy area. I didn't care if my hair is soaked wet, or if my clothes were dripping already. I was having fun with Emmett, and I enjoyed this precious moment.

"What, you're letting me win?" I teased and looked back to his direction, but he was not there. I turned around slowly, hoping that he was there, but he wasn't. I eyed and searched the whole area, but there was no sign of him.

"It's not funny anymore, come out now." I said.

Still, there was no sign of him. I started to worry. "Emme-" I stopped short and screamed when I heard a roar from behind me and a big pair of arms wrapped around my waist.

I started to laugh helplessly when I realized that it was just Emmett. "You silly bear." I said as I giggled.

Emmett smiled and took me in his arms. "You got scared, huh?" He asked playfully and brushed away some locks of hair that were on my face. The rain still poured and we stood still, just feeling each other's warmth.

"This is one cute moment." Emmett whispered.

I giggled and regretted that I didn't bring my camera. I rested my head on Emmett's chest and listened to the beating of his heart. Funny; it sounded like his heart was pounding my name…Rose…Rose…Rose.

Emmett kissed me tenderly. "I love you, Rosalie Hale." He said passionately.

"I love you, too, Emmett McCarty." I replied sincerely. I sighed happily.

Emmett suddenly had a look that tells me that he's about to do something. His dreamy chocolate eyes were bright, and his dimples were showing off. He smiled charmingly and pulled me closer to him.

"Rosie, will you marry me?" He asked.

Something in his tone told me that he was sincere. _Did he just ask me to marry him?_ My heart started to beat faster, and my cheeks flushed red even if the weather was cold and the rain was still pouring down. I somehow expected that he would ask me this question a few months ago, and I thought that I could easily say 'yes', but now…I couldn't find something to say. No words could ever show how much I'm happy and in love with him.

Memories of our past flashed back – the first time we met, Nessie's birthday, the day I opened up to him, how he protected me from those who wanted to hurt me – everything seemed like a story from an unknown fairytale.

I looked at him and placed a hand on his cheek. "Yes, I will." I answered breathtakingly.

Emmett carried me up and kissed me romantically. Now I am totally complete.

* * *

A/N: Um, I almost forgot - I'm planning to start working on a new fic (Rosalie-Emmett fic, of course)...any ideas? I have too many plots running inside my head, and I couldn't choose between those plots. Erm...(shameless self-promotion...haha!) For those who are interested about the ideas I have, just tell me and I will try to send you a copy or summary of those ideas. The next update for this story will be tomorrow (*promise*). I hope this story isn't going too fast for you guys. Review, please. :)


	22. The most magical day of my life

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

I twirled around in front of the large vanity mirror in my room. I couldn't help but blush at the sight of my own reflection. I smiled and giggled as I stared at myself. Three weeks ago, I was spending the day with Emmett at the empty lot he bought. Now I was getting married.

"You look beautiful, Rose." Esme said as she examined the back of my long, beautiful white dress.

Alice made and designed the gown exclusively for me. It was a simple off-white gown with two layers - silk and lace. The outer layer, which was the lace, had an intricate beadwork. The dress was totally beautiful; I'd give Alice credit for that. Aside from designing my dress, she was also the one who helped me plan the wedding.

Esme, on the other hand, took in charge of the reception. We're going to hold it at Esme's huge garden and invited some of our dearest and closest friends.

I took my attention away from the mirror and turned to smile happily at Esme. She had the proud mother look on her face, even if she isn't my mom.

"Your mother must be so proud of you, wherever she is right now. You turned out to be the finest lady one parent could ever have." She said sincerely.

I was almost teary-eyed. I had to admit – Esme's right.

"Don't ruin your make up." Alice said, entering my room. "Emmett and everybody else are ready. We're going to start in five minutes."

Esme gave me a quick kiss on my cheek and left the room with Alice. I took one last look at my reflection and smiled proudly. Rosalie Lillian Hale_ McCarty, _I recited inside my head adoringly, like how a teenage girl adds her crush's last name on her name. A huge grin spread across my face. A knock on my door made me turn away from my image.

Carlisle entered with a warm smile on his face. "Are you ready?"

I nodded and linked arms with Carlisle as he led me to through the stairs. As we waited for our turn at the living room, we watched the bridesmaids – Alice and Bella– made their way to the garden and walk down the aisle as Edward played the piano beside the stage we made for the ceremony. Next to them was Nessie. The flower girl; she walked with grace, just like how Edward carries himself, and threw rose and lilac petals everywhere. Edward sneaked a loving smile to her and Nessie smiled, proud of herself.

_This is it_, I told myself. Carlisle and I made our way to the garden and walked down the beautifully decorated aisle. I looked at the faces of the guests and smiled at the familiar faces. I took a deep breath and searched for my life. I almost fainted when I saw him beautifully dressed in his tux; he looks so gorgeous.

We finally reached the end of the aisle, and Carlisle placed my hand on Emmett's waiting arms. Emmett smiled at me lovingly as we turned to face the minister. I felt butterflies on my stomach.

I couldn't help but smile, blush, and look at Emmett as the minister held the ceremony. If only I could burst, I could have exploded because of pure joy right now. I could tell that Emmett felt the same way as I looked at him.

I tried to remember the many times Emmett and I spent our days with each other, the million times we kissed each other and the number of times he held up my feelings whenever I felt sad. He brought out the best in me.

"And now, it's time to give each other your vows. Rosalie?" The minister announced warmly.

I took a deep breath and looked at the crowd before taking Emmett's hand. "Emmett Dale McCarty, before I met you, I was incomplete and empty. I have felt lonely since I was young, and the events that happened in my life were very tragic and unbearable. And then you came along. You filled the large hole in my heart and made my life more meaningful and made me whole. You brought out the best in me. Everyday is a new experience with you. I will love you now and forever."

I heard some of the people in the crowd say 'aww, that's so sweet'. Emmett smiled at me and once again, made me feel intoxicated.

"Emmett, your vows." The minister told him.

Emmett gently squeezed my hand and smiled, showing off his irresistible dimples. He lifted his hand to my face and gently caressed my cheeks. "You are like an angel to me, Rosalie Lillian Hale. You made me feel loved and wanted, and in return, you will be the only woman who will own my heart." He placed my hand on his chest as he said the last words. "You are everything I could have ever dreamed of. You are my life now…my heart…my soul. I'll make a vow and promise you now until forever…I'll never stop loving you."

My heart almost melted when I heard Emmett's vows. I didn't expect him to make something so sincere and heartwarming like that. I blushed uncontrollably and smiled.

Emmett and I exchanged 'I do's' confidently and proudly. The minister proclaimed us husband and wife as the guests clapped their hands and cheered. Emmett took me in his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him tenderly. I couldn't ask for more.

The reception was beautiful, just like the ceremony, thanks to Esme. Everyone close to my heart was here. Emmett and I received warm congratulatory greetings from some of the guests and enjoyed the night.

I had the chance to dance with Carlisle, Edward, Jasper, and even Charlie. Of course, I saved the last dance for my gorgeous husband. We never parted from each other the whole night. Like a fairytale happy ending, this night is the most magical night of my life.

* * *

A/N: Is the story going too fast? Coz my sister told me that it is. Anyway, I sent (PM-ed) a copy of the ideas I have to those who requested for it. Er, just tell me what you think about those summaries/ideas. Once again, thanks to you guys. :)


	23. Growing appetite

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

"Thank you so much for letting us stay here for a while." Emmett said as he dropped his bags in my room. He wrapped an arm around me and turned to look at Carlisle. "The house we're building will take months to finish."

Esme and Carlisle smiled. "You can stay here as long as you want to. In fact, Esme here doesn't want the two of you to live away from us."

Emmett chuckled appreciatively. "That's so nice of you. Don't worry; you know our future house isn't far from here."

Carlisle and Esme excused themselves and left the room to us. As soon as they closed the door, Emmett scooped me up and carried me to the bed. We couldn't keep our hands off of each other since our honeymoon. It was entirely magical and fun; we flew to Hawaii and celebrated our honeymoon there for two weeks.

We spent almost every hour together strolling the beaches, visiting the amazing sights there. Emmett also taught me how to surf; we also snorkeled and did scuba diving almost every day. And…well, let's just say that Emmett owned me every night during that trip. We really couldn't keep our hands (and lips...and body) off of each other.

Emmett brushed his lips past my neck down to my collar bone and down to my chest. I felt high and drugged and intoxicated as his warm breath touched my skin. I grabbed his collar and pulled him up so his face was on top of mine. I cupped his face between my hands and started to kiss him, locking my lips with him.

A sudden knock on the door made us stop. Emmett sighed and pulled away from me and helped me sit up. Alice then poked her head inside the room.

"Can I borrow Rose for a moment? We need to go the shop now." she told Emmett. He looked at me and nodded. I jumped out of the bed and grabbed a coat from my closet and walked to Alice.

I started to run through the orders and requests the boutique needs to be done this month. Three prom dresses, and a wedding dress and matching dresses for five bridesmaids and three flower girls. Alice was already done with the sketch of the wedding dress and was getting ready for her appointment with the wife-to-be.

I, on the other hand, started to run through prom magazines and took note of every detail and style I wanted. My stomach growled just as I finished drawing the sketch of the first prom dress. I went to Bella's office and saw her there with Edward.

"Bella, could you order pizza for me?" I asked politely.

She smiled and nodded. "Of course."

I went back to thinking for ideas for the prom dresses when my stomach growled again impatiently. _Just wait_, I told myself. I began eating huge chunks of food three days ago. My appetite just suddenly grew bigger.

Bella ordered two boxes of pizza for the four of us – She, Edward, Alice, and I – and I felt embarrassed when I realized I ate five huge slices of pizza. Edward took note of my growing appetite and started to tease me.

"You're taking in too much carbs, Rose. Your figure will change within no time if you keep on eating like that." He said with a crooked smile on his face.

"I don't get fat easily." I snorted. Edward and Bella laughed in unison.

I walked back to my office with another slice of pizza in my hand. I took a bite as I began to wonder what could possibly be happening with me…and that's when it hit me. I locked the thought away for the moment and started to draw again.

Alice approved and liked my designs, and the only thing left to do before we start making the dresses will be to ask the customer if they like the design or not. On the way home, I bought some stuff from the local pharmacy and munched on a chocolate bar while I was driving.

I took a deep sigh before I got out of the car and went straight inside the house. Jasper was watching TV with Nessie, and I didn't see any sign of Emmett.

"Jazz, where's Emmett?" I asked.

Jasper jerked his head to my direction. "He went out; he said he needs to drop by the bakeshop and by something for you." He bit his lip when he realized he slipped off.

I smiled nonchalantly and went straight to my room. I hung up my coat and dropped my bag at the foot of my bed. I walked to the bathroom and locked the door.

* * *

A/N: So, I think this one is short. But, I'll make it up with you guys. And, the most 'huzzahs' I got from the ideas I sent you is idea #1 (the neighbor thing). I'm not sure when I'm going to post the story, but I have already made a draft of the first chap. Thanks for reading this. :)


	24. This time it's different

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

I paced from one end of my room to the other. It's already eight in the evening and Emmett is still outside. I tried calling him but his phone was probably dead. I replayed what Jasper told me – that Emmett went out to buy something for me – to keep myself from getting worried. I need to tell Emmett something, and yet he's still not home.

The last time I became like…_this_, my life started to become a roller coaster ride of pain and unwanted experiences. What would be Emmett's reaction? What would he say when I tell this to him? Would he be happy? What if he'd do what Royce did? What if that accident will happen again to me? There were too many 'what ifs' running through my head right now. I shrugged those thoughts off and smiled. _This time it's different_, I told myself. Besides, Emmett is a great man. I know he'll take care of me. I know he won't hurt me and won't let anything bad happen to me.

I heard Emmett's Jeep on the driveway and opened the window. I poked my head out of the window to make sure that it was him. He took out a bouquet of flowers from his car and made his way to the house.

He entered the room with a sweet smile on his face. All the feelings of worry I felt were instantly washed away. He took out the bouquet of flowers behind him and handed it to me. I took a whiff and was jaded by the scent of the roses.

Emmett took it from me and placed it above my dresser drawer. He lied down on the bed and I crawled to him and snuggled in Emmett's arms.

"I love you." He whispered to my ear.

I giggled. "Honey, I have to tell you something."

He closed his eyes and smiled. "Go ahead, babe."

I took a deep breath. _This time it's different,_ I told myself again. I sat up and locked my eyes on him to see his reaction. "You're going to be a father."

Emmett sat up and shot open his eyes and looked deep into my eyes, as if asking silently if I was telling him the truth. I smiled. His lips slowly curved into a smile. "Rose, are…are you sure?" he asked hopefully.

I nodded as my smile grew wider. Emmett's smile turned into a soft chuckle of excitement. He pulled me into his arms and hugged me sweetly and kissed me five times.

He pulled me away from him and jumped out of the bed and ran out of the room excitedly. I followed him and stopped short at the end of the staircase. Edward, Bella, and Nessie were watching TV with Jasper and Alice, and I could hear Esme and Carlisle at the kitchen.

Emmett stood by the piano and cleared his throat. "I'm going to be a father!" he boomed happily.

Everyone was shocked by Emmett's loud voice and turned their heads to his direction. Bella and Alice obviously heard him an understood what he said and rushed to my side and gave me a hug. Esme and Carlisle rushed to the living room, too, with smiles on their faces.

"I'm…finally going to be an uncle?" Jasper asked with delight in his voice.

I nodded and went to Emmett's side. He wrapped his arms around me proudly.

Edward stood up and went to my side to give me a kiss on my cheek. "So that's the reason why you've been eating like that." He said as he winked at me.

I couldn't help but laugh and smile as I saw the proud and happy faces of my family, especially my twin, Jasper. Emmett suddenly scooped me up and carried me back to our room.

"I can't believe it." He said as he laid me down on the bed. "I'm going to be a father. I'm going to have a baby. We're going to have a baby." He babbled excitedly.

I tried to hide my laugh, but failed. Emmett looked so cute. "You're going to be a great father." I said with certainty.

He grinned and kissed me adoringly. "I'm going to be a father!" he exclaimed again. He looked so adorable. "I want a boy." He said with a huge smile on his face. "So I could have a tag mate when it comes to protecting you."

My cheeks flushed deep red. "I want a girl." I answered back playfully.

Emmett wrapped his arms around me. "Either way, I know the baby will look as charming as you."

A slight knock on the door made me look away from Emmett. Jasper poked his head inside the room. "Em, can I talk to Rose for a moment?" he asked warmly.

Emmett gave him a nod and left the room to the two of us. Jasper sat by my side and held my hand.

"I'm so happy for you." He said sincerely.

I squeezed his hand gently. "Thanks."

A smile escaped his lips. "I'm going to be an uncle. Honestly, I'm excited for your baby's birth. And I'm not going to let anything happen to you now."

Seeing Jasper like this made me feel warmer and more secure. I leaned to him and gave him a small kiss on his forehead. "Thank you, Jazz. I'm so lucky to have you as my twin brother."

Jasper smiled gratuitously and stood up, and then left the room. A few seconds later, Emmett came back to our room.

"Esme told me that she really doesn't want us to leave this house, especially now that we're going to have a baby."

I snuggled up in his arms and rested my head on his chest. "That is so sweet of her."

I leaned closer to him and kissed him. My life couldn't be any happier. I got married to my one true love, and now I'm going to have a baby again. I really couldn't ask for more. And I'm sure that this time is going to be different, I told myself again surely. I have no doubt that nothing bad will happen this time, now that I have Emmett by my side.

* * *

A/N: Yep, there is going to be a little McCarty. Funny; one of you guys had a correct hunch about Rosalie and Emmett having...okay I won't tell it for now. I've finished writing three more chapters for this story, and I'm going to upload them tomorrow. Oh and, I've already decided that I will write all of those ideas I have and turn them into fics one by one, and the first one that I will publish is the neighbor idea. Thanks for the reviews. :)


	25. Nine months later

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

A/N: Thanks for the nice reviews, and I'm glad that you like how this story goes. Thanks a million. :) I fast-forwarded the story to nine months later...and I really don't have a nice reason why I did that.

---Nine Months Later---

"Emmett McCarty!" I called out loud. I heaved a deep sigh as I started to walk down the stairs with my hand placed on my back for support.

My belly, now unbelievably large, looked like it was going to explode. I rubbed my belly soothingly, but my mood changed instantly when I saw Emmett still fixed on the television. He's been sitting there for an hour or two, without talking to me. It was as if his gaze was glued on the television.

"Emmett, it's time. We have to go." I said with an audible sigh.

Emmett, without looking at me, waved his hand. "Five more minutes, babe. The game is almost done."

"If you do not come here this instant, I will not talk to you until this baby comes out of me. We're going to be late for Esme's party." I demanded. "Besides, you could download that…whatever you're watching…on the internet."

Emmett grabbed the remote with regret on his eyes. I hate when he does that; he looks like a child who's trying to guilt and work his way to change his parents' mind. But I have to act smug so I stood firmly, with one hand supporting my back and brows furrowed. If I will let him get away with this and let him continue watching that game, he will surely develop a habit of making his way to change my mind so he could get what he wants.

The look on his face instantly changed when he saw me place my hand on my back. He paced to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder and rubbed my belly with his free hand. "Is he nudging? Is he moving?" he asked.

Emmett and I decided that we want the baby's gender to be a surprise, so we denied Carlisle's offer of giving me an ultrasound. But Emmett concluded that our baby is a boy because my belly is so big.

I shook my head. "No, he's just getting bigger and heavier."

Emmett sprinted back to our room and came back with a coat. He assisted me in wearing it and carried my bag for me.

"I want to use the M3." I told him; his Jeep will only make me nauseous.

He nodded obediently and escorted me to the driveway and helped me get inside the car. I smiled at the sight of the daffodils that Esme planted on my garden. Yes, _my _garden. Emmett and I are now living at our dream house for two months.

The house was simple, but elegant in its own way. The two-storey house, designed as an old Victorian house, was painted with a shade of baby blue with white columns and panels. The house was surrounded by trees and flowers were delicately planted on the front garden. Emmett bought me a rocking chair and placed in on the porch, because I love to read and enjoy the scenery whenever I have free time.

The backyard, on the other hand, was made as a 'play space' for our baby; we also made a pathway leading to the river so we could go down there and soak our feet and enjoy the water. The house had four rooms, and one guest room. A music/family room, a kitchen and dining room, and a huge living room were on the first floor.

"How are you feeling?" Emmett asked as he drove.

I smiled towards my husband adoringly. "I'm okay now. But I think I'm going to be really stuffed once we arrive at Esme's. I can't resist her cooking; neither could the baby." I said unabashedly. Today is Carlisle's and Esme's anniversary, and of course, they want us to celebrate with them.

Emmett held out his hand and took mine and kissed it. "You look beautiful."

He held my hand for the rest of our ride to the Cullen house; and it gave me overwhelming comfort. Alice must've seen our car approach the driveway and was out of the house before we could even get out of the car.

Emmett helped me get out of the car and was too careful not to make any sudden moves so that I won't bump into something. He gave me a soft peck after he closed the car door.

"Rose! Your bump is so big! It's getting bigger every time I see you." Alice exclaimed.

I had to laugh at the way she looked and babbled; as if it's her first time to see a pregnant woman. And I can't blame her – I saw Bella's pregnant pictures and her belly wasn't that big. Mine was almost twice as big as Bella's.

"You look great, too, Alice." I replied with a grin.

Alice ushered me and Emmett to the dining room where everyone was. All heads turned to me when they heard us come inside.

"Happy anniversary." Emmett and I said in unison to Esme and Carlisle.

Esme walked up to me and rubbed my belly gently. "Rose, I am now sure that your baby is a boy."

"Emmett and I think so, too." I replied as I watched my aunt – well, I think of her as my second mother – rub my belly and talk to my belly.

"We're all surprised to see you, baby." She cooed and said to my belly, as if the baby inside my womb is going to hear it.

Esme went to the table and started to get a slice of cake for me and for Emmett. Nessie skipped to my side with the teddy bear Emmett gave her for her birthday clutched in her arms.

"When is the baby going to get out of your tummy, Aunt Rose?" she asked with a charming smile on her face.

I stretched out my arm and gave Ness a slight pat on her head. "A week from now." I replied.

Her smile grew bigger. "Daddy! My cousin is going to get out of Aunt Rose's tummy next week!" she exclaimed as she ran back to her father.

Edward smiled at his daughter and scooped her up. "Nessie's too eager to meet her new playmate." Edward told me with a crooked smile on his face.

I was about to smile back when I felt something awkward. It felt like a very strong menstrual cramp. I tried to even out my breathing and placed my hand on top of my belly. Emmett noticed the pained look on my face and rushed hurriedly to my side.

"Rose, are you okay? What's the matter?" he tried to act controlled and calm, but his voice was overwhelmed by worry.

Everyone in my family dashed to my side with worried looks on their faces.

I couldn't take it anymore. The pain became harder to control. "Emmett…" I whispered in between deep breaths. "I think the baby's ready to come out."

Emmett leaned closer to me and gave me a quick peck on my lips. "Don't worry, baby. Everything's going to be fine; just stay with me, Rose." He held my hand firmly. "Edward, can you drive the car for us?" he asked with a firm tone.

Edward nodded and ran to our car and revved it up as soon as he started the engine. Emmett carried me and strode to the car as fast as he could and sat with me at the backseat of the car.

"Don't worry, baby. I'm just right here by your side." He said as Edward started to head off to the hospital.


	26. Fraternal twins

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

Emmett's POV

Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Rosalie has been inside the operating room for almost eight hours. I tried to tune out the pained look on her face when she told me that she thinks the baby is going to come out. When we arrived at the hospital, her face was paler than ever and her sweats were cold. Breathe in, breathe out; _don't make yourself worry, Emmett_, I told myself.

Edward left the hospital an hour ago because he had to go back there and take control while Esme and Carlisle are here at the hospital.

"Emmett, dear, why don't you rest for a while?" Esme said as she sat beside me.

I shook my head no but gave her a smile. "Thanks, but I want to wait for my wife."

Esme gave me a nod and patted my shoulder. "Well, I think I'll just grab you a cup of coffee."

"That I wouldn't mind." I said with my usual grin. Esme walked off and I watched as she faded away with the crowd of nurses and patients.

I looked down again on my feet and placed my head on my hands. _She's going to be alright, she's a tough one,_ I told myself. But something else made me fall back to being worried – Carlisle said giving birth would only take four to six hours. Why on earth is my wife still inside that room? What's taking them so long? Is she alright? Is my baby going to be okay?

I've heard about dilemmas of new fathers. I never thought I would have one like that. I've paced from one end of the corridor to the other, tried to read newspaper, waited impatiently by the operating room door, and asked every nurse that passes through the room. Alice, Jasper, and the rest had to go home to have some sleep, and only Esme was left behind here while Carlisle was conducting a surgery at the other end of the corridor.

I let out another deep, exasperated sigh and tried to focus. I felt my senses starting to lull; I haven't had any sleep and the only thing that's keeping me up is coffee. Esme has gone back and forth to the hospital cafeteria for about four times to get me some coffee.

I stood up and started to pace again. I couldn't contain myself any longer; Rose has been inside the operating room for eight hours and the nurses that occasionally come out of that room won't tell me anything…and that made things worse. Unwanted thoughts flooded my mind. _Is Rosalie having a hard time giving birth? Is there a complication? Is Rosalie okay? _And the worst thought, _did one of them die?_

I shrugged hard to ward off those thoughts from my mind. _Get a hold on yourself, Emmett. Rosalie and your baby is okay,_ I told myself over and over again.

"Mr. McCarty?" a low voice asked.

I instantly jerked my head and saw a nurse standing a few steps away from me with something covered with a blue blanket in his arms. My heart pounded faster. I stopped pacing and slowly walked to the nurse, blinking my eyes as I steadied my sight at the bundle of joy in the nurse's arms.

The nurse smiled and handed me the baby. "Congratulations, he's a beautiful baby boy."

I outstretched my arms, and the nurse handed me the baby carefully. I held my baby safely in my arms and stared at him. I couldn't believe that I _am _a father now. The baby was silent and seems to be sleeping. I tucked him in my arms lovingly.

"Mr. McCarty?" the nurse asked again. I somehow felt irritated; why the heck is he disturbing me? Can't he see I'm enjoying this moment with my baby? The nurse cleared his throat and I looked at him with an annoyed face.

The annoyance I felt was replaced by confusion. The nurse was holding another baby, this time covered in a soft pink blanket.

"This one's an adorable baby girl." He said with a cooing voice.

My eyes almost popped out of their sockets. My wife gave birth to…_twins?_

The nurse answered as if he had heard my mind. "They're fraternal twins. I'm sorry to interrupt your _moment,_ but we have to take your babies first for now, so we could do the necessary check ups and procedures we need to do with them." The nurse explained curtly.

I nodded and another nurse arrived just in time to take my baby boy. Although I didn't want to give my baby back, I had to. This feeling I had, I guess they call it 'fatherly connection', is way too strong.

"How's my wife?" I asked out loud.

"She's fine, although she lost a lot of energy so she's probably going to be asleep for a while." The nurse said. With that, they left me alone at the corridor.

I felt proud of Rosalie. She gave birth to healthy twins. She really is one tough woman.

I decided to go back home and take a bath and pack some clothes for Rosalie and some blankets for our babies; I did all that quickly so I could get back to the hospital before Rose wakes up. I couldn't help but smile all the time as I thought of my babies. I know that Rosalie will beam with joy when she sees our babies.

Rosalie was still asleep when I got back. She looked tired but still beautiful. Our babies were at the nursery ward when I decided to check in on them. They were sleeping soundly, just like their beautiful mother.

A/N: Weee! Like it? Hate it? What do you think? Er…I did this part in Emmett's because I couldn't make it right in Rose's side (giving birth is kind of hard for me to write). The next chapters will be back to Rosalie's POV. So...nolechic512 and custardmaker got the twins part. To PokieDots and ah-dorably key-ute, and to everyone else who are reading this, thanks. :)


	27. My only sunshine

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

I woke up to the sound of a man singing. I felt like I've been lying for hours, but I still felt tired, and I tried to open my eyes. The light hurt my eyes a little – proof that I have been sleeping for so long. I slowly sat up.

_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine  
you make me happy when skies are grey  
you'll never know dear how much I love you_

Was that…? I turned my head to the direction from where the singing was. My heart almost melted. Emmett was the one who was singing! He held a baby wrapped up in a pink blanket, and he was singing to the baby. _My only sunshine_, I thought. Emmett never fails to amuse me. He was so glued to the baby – he hasn't noticed that I'm already awake.

"Hi honey." I said; my voice sounded a little off and weak.

Emmett glanced up and a glint of delight shimmered in his eyes when he saw me. He stood up from the chair and walked up to me, the baby still in his arms. He sat down and handed me the baby.

The emotion I felt when I held my baby was intense – like I was an addict and this baby was my drug. I looked at her and a smile spread across my face involuntarily. "She's beautiful." I said.

"Just like you." Emmett whispered. He stood up and walked to a crib or something; I didn't really pay attention. I was too wrapped up with my baby. He sat again beside me a few seconds later.

"Rose," he called out. I jerked my head up and looked at him, holding another baby in a blue blanket. Emmett grinned as he saw my reaction.

I almost forgot that I gave birth to two babies. I wanted to reach out and take the other baby, but it was as if my baby girl was glued to my arms. I couldn't and don't want to let go of her.

"You gave birth to this little guy here first. Baby girl popped out ten minutes later." Emmett said, filling in the information that was kind of groggy to me because I've been asleep too long.

"How long have I been asleep?" I asked, looking at my husband lovingly.

Emmett leaned closer, careful not to bump the babies in our arms, and kissed me tenderly. "Almost two days." He said. "That reminds me," he suddenly gushed. "Esme told me to give her a ring when you wake up."

I held him back; I didn't want this family moment to end for now. "Esme saw them already?"

Emmett nodded with a smile on his face. "All of them did, yesterday. Nessie even insisted on carrying them." Emmett laughed as he recoiled the memory inside his head.

"Amber…" I suddenly said, staring at my adorable baby. "Amber Lillian McCarty." Her name just clicked in my mind. I looked up at Emmett, waiting for his approval.

He smiled at me. "That name suits her." He looked at our baby boy in his arms and stared at him with loving eyes. I wanted to take a picture of this moment.

"Lucas Riley." He whispered. I was awed by the moment Emmett said that name while looking and smiling at our baby. "Lucas…do you like that?" Emmett asked our baby boy. And the baby smiled back, still with closed eyes, as if he understood and heard his father.

The look on Emmett's face was priceless – the look of a proud happy father.

"Rose!"

I shot my head up and saw Jasper and Alice by the doorway. Alice skipped towards me and Emmett and sat at the chair beside the bed.

"They're so adorable!" she exclaimed as she looked at our babies.

Jasper walked up to me. "Can I hold her?" he asked curtly.

I smiled and willingly handed Amber to Jasper. He tucked her in his arms and caressed her gently.

"She looks like you, Rose." He whispered. "But she has Emmett's dark curls…and dimples."

"Oh, have you decided on what to name them?" Alice asked enthusiastically.

Emmett beamed and smiled. "Amber Lillian and Lucas Riley." He said proudly.

Alice walked up to Emmett and looked at Lucas adoringly. "Those names suit them." She whispered, careful not to wake the babies up, and then giggled. "Lucas looks just like you, Em!"

She's right. Lucas looks just like my darling husband – round face, dark curls; Lucas is Emmett's 'mini me'. Amber, on the other hand, looks like me, only she has dark hair.

Alice and Jasper stayed a little longer to watch our babies as Emmett and I tried to get some sleep. Both of us were really exhausted – me from giving birth and Emmett from watching the babies while I was asleep.

It was already dark when I woke up; a little past twelve midnight. Emmett pulled the couch and placed it beside my bed; he was sleeping soundly. I then saw the crib right across my bed. I stretched my arms and flexed my legs as I tried to stand up.

I still felt a little weak, but I managed to walk to the crib. My babies were awake, and I found it amusing that they weren't making any noises even if they were awake. I bent down a little more so I could see them up close.

"Hello there," I cooed and gently caressed Lucas' face, and then Amber's.

Lucas squirmed a little from his left side to his right, while Amber stayed still. Even from now, I could already tell that Lucas really got a lot from Emmett.

I held Amber's tiny hand and felt overjoyed when I felt her tiny soft hand in mine. I know babies can't see right after their birth, but Amber looked at me like she could already see me.

Emmett's arms were suddenly wrapped around my waist; I didn't hear him get up from the couch.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he gently tightened his arms around my waist.

I sighed contently as I felt his body against mine. "Still a little bit weak, but I can handle it." I turned around to face Emmett and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"We are so lucky to have them." I said, mentioning Amber and Lucas, and then kissed Emmett.

He pulled me closer to him and our kiss started to grow more passionate. Lucas suddenly made a funny noise – like a giggle – and we instantly stopped kissing and looked at our babies.

I smiled proudly. I gave birth to beautiful healthy babies, I have an amazing husband, and a wonderful family.

* * *

A/N: There...as promised, three chapters. I hope you like them. :)


	28. Lucas and Amber

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

A/N: Wow – 58 reviews and 6,000 hits; I can't believe that I'll make it this far. Haha, anyway, I'm glad you like their names. I kinda had a hard time picking the right names for them. Lol. For this story, I'm planning on jumping it to a few years later if that's okay with you guys. Again, thanks for the reviews, the faves, and everything. :)

* * *

"And here are the designs we made for the gowns of your bridesmaids." I said as I handed the wife to be and her groom the copies of the designs Alice and I made.

They both exchanged happy looks after they looked through the dresses. "I like them." The wife gushed.

I nodded and took back the copies of the dresses so we could begin making them.

"Thanks, Ms. Hale." The wife said with a smile on her face.

I tilted my head a little bit to the other side with a warm smile on my face. "It's _Mrs. McCarty_."

"Oh, thank you, Mrs. McCarty." The wife corrected and then left the boutique.

I stored the copies of the designs to my desk drawer and went up to the second floor of the boutique where Esme was watching over Amber and Lucas.

Esme was sitting, reading a book, with Amber on her lap. I smiled and strode straight to Lucas' crib and lifted him up. Lucas is getting heavier as months pass by, and just like his Dad, he loves to smile and show off his dimples and moves a lot, unlike Amber who is very behave.

He poked my nose lightly and made a funny giggle when I smiled at him.

"Hello there, Little McCarty." I cooed as I tucked Lucas in my arms.

"Rose, have you weighed them today?" Esme asked.

I turned around and nodded. "Lucas is really getting heavier – 19.20 pounds; Amber is 18.75 pounds."

Esme laughed softly. "Lucas is pretty heavy for an eight month old baby."

"He's really taken a lot from his father." Emmett suddenly chipped in; I didn't notice him enter the room.

Amber squealed happily when she saw her father. She stretched out her tiny arms towards Emmett's direction. My dear husband walked to her and took her from Esme.

"Hello there, sunshine. Did you miss Daddy?" Emmett asked Amber lovingly.

Amber giggled as she adjusted herself on Emmett's arms. Emmett walked up to me and gave me a kiss.

"Hey big guy, what did you do today?" Emmett asked Lucas with a grin.

"He crushed all the cookies I gave him with his fists." Esme answered with a slight smile.

I looked at Lucas with a slight disapproving look and then turned to Esme with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for that, Esme."

Esme waved her hand, brushing off the issue. "It's okay. He's a baby."

"You are really like your Daddy, young man." I told Lucas as I snuggled him closer to me.

Amber giggled when she heard the word 'daddy'; she really likes her father a lot. "Dada." A little voice suddenly said.

In that instant, Esme, Emmett, and I shot our glances to Amber. She had a cute smile on her face, her dimples showed off, and her pink cheeks were as rosy as ever.

Emmett looked like he was going to cry and rejoice at the same time. "What did you say again, Amber?" he asked with a sweet cooing voice.

Amber smiled again and placed a hand on Emmett's cheek. "Dada." She said with a cute voice followed by a giggle.

"That's a word! Dada!" Emmett blurted out loud proudly with a huge smile on his face.

I couldn't resist the urge to laugh lightly and smile; I, too, am proud of my baby girl. "She really likes you a lot, hon." I wonder when Lucas is going to say his first word. Of the two of them, I thought Lucas was the first one to complete a word because he was the one who always makes noises and he was the one who loves to babble with different sounds.

"How about you, Luke, say _dada_." I said, emphasizing the word 'dada'.

Lucas stared at me and watched my face as I said the word again. He looked like he was trying to say it.

"How about mama, can you say it?" Emmett asked, watching Lucas as well.

Amber reached out her tiny arms towards Lucas, and Emmett came closer to us so Amber could reach her twin. She touched Lucas' hand, as if giving him support.

"Ma…ma." Lucas let the syllables out. "Mama." He said again, this time faster and surer.

Esme clapped her hands proudly; I almost forgot that she was here with us. I was too wrapped up with my babies. I gave Lucas a kiss on his cheek as a reward, and he obviously liked it.

When we got home, Emmett and I placed Lucas and Amber on their play pen inside their room. I stayed with my babies while Emmett took a shower, and when he was done, I took my turn to take a bath.

Taking turns and tasks really helped a lot, especially when the babies were only a few months old. Emmett was the diaper changer – he was the one who insisted that he wants to be the diaper changer because, according to him, I'm the babies' source of food.

I rested my head contently on Emmett's shoulder as we watched our babies play. Lucas and Amber were playing with big Lego blocks; it was their favorite thing to do.

Lucas is really like Emmett – he loves to move around and explore, he has Emmett's goofy grin, and he is very talkative for a baby and loves attention, and he really likes cars – he got that from Edward, because Edward always gives him toy cars. Just like a while ago with the cookies, Lucas loves to smash anything he could with his fists, mostly cookies and bread.

Amber, on the other hand, is more reserved, and even when she was a newborn, she didn't cry that much. She always carries around her bunny, and if her bunny – the first stuffed toy Emmett gave her – is not with her, she can't fall asleep.

Physically, they both have Emmett's dark hair and dimples, but they got the shade of my eyes. Another common thing about them is they love it when they hear Emmett laugh; well, I love it when Emmett laughs, too. The odd thing is, I don't know how, and I'm not even sure if this is just my interpretation or what, but whenever Lucas is being unruly, Amber just looks at him straight to his eyes, and then Lucas will stop.

"Mama," Amber suddenly said, followed by a yawn.

It feels good when they call me _mama_, and I could tell that Emmett feels the same way when they call him _dada_ – he's been waiting for them to say that word. Ever since they started to say mama and dada this afternoon, Lucas and Amber now calls our attention by calling us mama or dada, maybe because they know and see that those simple words make Emmett and I happy.

Amber yawned again, followed by Lucas' tired yawn. He crawled up to the small door of their pen and looked for something that he could use to open it. I laughed as I watched my son attempt to open the door. Emmett and I stood up and took them to their cribs and tucked them in.

Lucas and Amber instantly fell asleep. For me, there's nothing more rewarding than to have Emmett by my side as we watch our babies play and sleep; there's nothing more rewarding than being a parent.

* * *

A/N: So…do you agree with jumping the story about…hhmmm…[five?] years later? I've already finished the next chapter, and that's where the story jump happens. So, I'm going to wait for your reactions first before I upload the next chap. AND, I am going to post the first two chapters of my new story [Something About You] when I upload the next chapter of this story.


	29. Five years later

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

A/N: I'm glad you agreed on jumping the story. Anyway, I've already posted Something About You. Go check it out after reading this. Thanks again to all of you. :)

* * *

---Five Years Later---

"Em!" I gushed when I got the chance. Emmett locked his lips with mine again and I couldn't help but blush and kiss him back. He placed his hand on the small of my back and pulled me closer to him, making me want more of him.

I pulled away my face from him to catch my breath; I'm totally intoxicated by his kiss…his breath…his scent…everything about him. Emmett brushed his lips on my shoulders and then to my chest and was starting to unbutton my blouse – then it snapped back to me again.

"Hon, they're going to arrive anytime now." I said, almost feeling bad that we have to end this now that we're just beginning.

I could tell that Emmett felt the same way from his sigh. He slumped back on the couch and closed his eyes. "Remind me not to start making love with you when the kids are about to arrive." He said with a slight smile on his lips.

I leaned closer to him and gave him a short passionate kiss. "You've had enough this week."

He let out a naughty smile. "Could you blame me for not having the ability to keep my hands…_myself_…off of you?"

My cheeks became deeper than red as I giggled. I kissed Emmett again and pulled away before I start to become wrapped up with him again.

I heard Edward's Volvo approach the driveway and made my way to the porch; Emmett trailed behind me.

Edward helped Lucas and Amber get out of his car and took their bags. I became downright worried when I saw a slight cut in Lucas' lip. I rushed to him and kneeled on the pathway, not really caring if my pants were going to be dirty, and checked my son's lip.

"What happened? Did someone hurt you? Are you okay?" I asked too fast.

Emmett didn't say anything, but I know he's just as worried as me. Edward handed their bags to Emmett and kneeled down beside Lucas, facing me.

"He got into a fight with a seven year old kid." Edward said with a sigh.

"What? Is that true, Lucas?" I asked dubiously, though I know that getting into a fight with a kid bigger than him is not impossible with Lucas.

Amber rushed to Lucas' side, obviously standing up for him. "That kid was scaring me and Nessie." She said, looking straight to my eyes.

I knew that Amber was telling the truth by the way she looked into my eyes. "Who was that kid?"

Lucas and Amber both shook their heads; they don't know who the kid was.

"Were you the one who started the fight?" Emmett asked, his arms folded across his chest.

Lucas nodded this time. "He was going to take Amber's bunny. Amber loves that bunny."

My heart almost melted when Lucas told the reason why he got into a fight with another kid – he was protecting Amber. I pulled him and Amber closer to me and hugged them both dearly.

Emmett suddenly smirked. "Did you beat him up, Luke?"

A crooked smile escaped Edward's lips. "You did a great job when you taught him how to fight; the kid was almost on his way back to his mother when I got there. Lucas totally nailed him."

Emmett and Edward chuckled, obviously proud of Lucas. But I shot them reprimanding looks and they instantly stopped.

"I explained everything to the mother of the kid; in fact, she was very apologetic and she admitted that her son is a real bully." Edward added. He stood up and patted Emmett on his arm and gave me a kiss on my cheek. "I'm gonna go now. See you guys." He kissed both Lucas and Amber on their foreheads and started to head off to his car.

"Bye Uncle Edward!" Lucas and Amber called out in unison as Edward started to make his way out of our driveway.

We headed back to the house and the twins were silent for a while. Emmett went upstairs and changed clothes and went out to check the bakeshop. I played a DVD of Bolt that we have and took out some brownies for Lucas and Amber to snack on while they're watching.

"Lucas, honey, I don't want you fighting with other kids, okay?" I told my son as I watched him munch down his brownies.

Lucas nodded obediently. "Okay, Mommy." He turned his gaze back on the TV screen.

I went to him and gave him a kiss on his forehead. "Is that a promise?"

"Promise." He said with an assuring smile on his face.

I turned to Amber and lifted her to my lap. "Did the kid hurt you?"

She shook her head. "He just tried to take away bunny."

I brushed her hair with my fingers. Her hair was long now, gently waving just under her shoulders and embraced her face perfectly. "Mommy and Daddy loves you so much. You too, Lucas."

"We know." They replied in unison.

I watched as my children enjoyed the movie and felt happy and relieved that Lucas didn't get really hurt when he fought that kid. He is totally like Emmett.

"Before I forget, are your things prepared? Tomorrow's your first day of school." I reminded them.

Lucas looked at me with an excited look on his face, but Amber looked like it was the last thing she wanted to hear.

"It's okay, baby." I said as I brushed my hand on her cheek. "I assure you, it's going to be great."

"Yeah, Amber, it's going to be awesome!" Lucas chimed in with a vibrant tone.

I embraced Amber and kissed her on her forehead. "You don't have to worry; your Daddy and I will be there with you until your school ends. Lucas will be there with you, too."

Lucas stood up and wrapped his arms around Amber. "You'll be safe with me."

I am very lucky to have kids like them. They love each other; they even protect and look out for each other. Ever since they were young, Lucas always had the initiative to protect his little twin sister, and Amber was the one who can stop her brother from doing unlikely things.


	30. Happy anniversary

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

"Kids, come on!" Emmett called out from the driveway. "You don't want to be late on your first day!"

In that instant, Lucas jogged down the stairs excitedly followed by Amber. I took one last look at myself on the mirror.

"Babe, you're beautiful." Emmett called out again; he must've seen me check myself on the mirror.

I grabbed my purse and locked all the doors and got into the car. During the whole trip, Emmett and the kids sang My Only Sunshine; he and the kids developed the habit of singing that song whenever they're all together.

"Mom, can I bring bunny?" Amber asked shyly from the backseat.

I turned to her and gave her a smile. "That depends on your teacher, honey. We'll ask her when we arrive there, okay?"

Amber nodded and turned her attention outside the window. We arrived at the school a few minutes earlier. The teacher, a gentle-looking lady, almost melted when she saw my twins.

"They are so adorable. They're like angels." She mused.

Emmett and I exchanged smiles. The teacher allowed Amber to bring bunny with her and she escorted them to their room. Emmett and I waited at the car.

"Do you think Amber will get over what she's feeling about going to school?" I asked with a sigh.

Emmett squeezed my hand gently and smiled. "I'm sure she will; she's a McCarty. She'll surpass that phase in no time."

I smiled and waited patiently for the end of Lucas and Amber's class. When they got out of their room, they both had big smiles on their faces. Emmett and I jumped out of the car to get them.

Lucas took out a sheet of paper from his bag and unfolded it. A family picture – our family – having a picnic was drawn in it. "Do you like it, Mommy?"

I nodded and gave Lucas a rewarding kiss. "Of course I like it."

Amber, on the other hand, drew our family in front of our house.

"Hm, I can't decide whose drawing is better." Emmett kidded.

Turns out Emmett was right – Amber will easily get over her phase. On the way home, she babbled constantly about how her classmates and her teacher admire her beauty, and Lucas bragged that he was the strongest among his classmates.

When we got back, I was surprised to see a woman on our porch. I got out of the car quickly and went straight towards the woman.

"Hi, what do you need?" I asked politely.

The woman smiled and held out her hand for me to shake. "I'm Kayla Bass; your husband hired me to watch your kids for tonight."

My brows furrowed and I looked at Emmett with a questioning look.

He walked up to me after he unloaded Lucas and Amber's bags. "It's true. I sort of planned a dinner for us tonight." He said with an irresistible smile.

I nodded and looked again at Kayla; well, she looks okay enough as a babysitter. Emmett introduced her to our kids and escorted them to the backyard where they can play while Emmett and I took a bath and prepared for Emmett's planned date.

Before leaving the house and my children to Kayla, I wrote down the numbers she could call if anything might happen – my number, Emmett's number, and the number at the Cullen house. I also gave her instructions on what to do with Lucas and Amber after their homework is done.

"I didn't expect that you'd plan a dinner tonight. I thought we're just going to celebrate at the house." I said as I looked adoringly at my husband while he drove.

He smiled and chuckled. "It's our anniversary; of course I had to think of something nice other than staying at the house."

I leaned closer to him and gave him a peck on his cheek. "Where did you find the babysitter, anyway?"

"She babysat a friend of mine's baby. He said she's really reliable and handy." Emmett answered without taking his eyes off of the road.

He stopped the car at a grassy area where a gazebo was standing at the middle. My heart almost melted. A table was set at the middle of the gazebo and it was decorated with lamps and flowers and rose petals were scattered everywhere. A waiter stood by the service table.

"Em, you are so unpredictable." I hushed as we walked hand in hand to the gazebo.

The waiter instantly turned on a music player when he saw us and started to set the dinner on the table.

Emmett ushered me to my seat and smiled as he propped himself on his seat. I am so proud of my husband. He really did take time to plan this special dinner.

We talked about the past things that happened to us – the memorable ones and the times we had silly arguments. Everything he planned for tonight was amazing, even the food. I was really full after the dinner.

Emmett led me to a blanket propped on the grass outside the gazebo and took a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses. We sat on the blanket side by side. I let the cool breeze of the night air embrace my face.

"I love you." I whispered as I snuggled into Emmett's arms.

He took my hand and kissed it. "I love you, too."

"Thanks for this evening." I said and inched myself closer to him to give him a kiss. I cupped his face between my hands as he kissed me back.

He placed his hand to the small of my back and pulled me closer to him.

"Happy anniversary." I whispered in between kisses.

"You're the best thing that has ever happened to me." He said sincerely.

* * *

A/N: Okay, here's the thing – I'm kind of running out of ideas/twists for this story and I'm kind of deliberating whether I should end this or continue writing. So, if you have some wicked ideas, tell me! :) And I'm thankful to those of you who have been reading this story since I posted it. Thanks a lot. And to PokieDots, I hope you had enough sleep/rest. :p


	31. Dilemma

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

"You don't do things without my permission!" I shouted angrily. "This is _my_ house, and you don't have a right to touch anything!"

Emmett rubbed my shoulders, but I yanked him away. "Don't touch me, Emmett."

"I'm sorry, Rose -" Kayla said with a shivering voice.

I cut her off mid-sentence. "It's Mrs. McCarty. Get out of my house."

"I just thought Lucas and Amber will like it." She protested and started to walk towards me.

I couldn't control the anger. I turned to Emmett with a disappointed look on my face. "And you didn't even stop her."

Emmett had _the_ guilty look on his face, and he knew better than to protest.

"But the kids enjoyed it." Kayla pleaded. What the heck is with this woman?

"They're mine, not yours. I decide what they do and what's good for them, not you." Resentment was overwhelming my voice.

***

---Nine hours earlier---

I woke up to the sound of the alarm clock. I fumbled through the side table and tapped the alarm clock to stop. I groaned and opened my eyes groggily. Emmett was still sleeping, snoring lightly. He felt me move and involuntarily spread his arm just above my lap.

For a moment, I didn't wan to stand up; Emmett just looked so charming even if he's asleep. I carefully removed his arm from my lap and snuck into the bathroom to take a shower.

When I had finished taking a bath, Emmett was still asleep. I put on a comfy summer dress and blow-dried my hair. After that, I went down to the kitchen to make pancakes for my family's breakfast.

"Good morning, hon." Emmett said as he entered the kitchen.

I smiled at him dearly and gave him a flying kiss. "You look good." I said as I looked at him – he was only wearing sweat pants and he looks undeniably sexy.

He walked up to me and kissed my shoulder. "You look good, too."

"You're up early." He said as he set the table.

"We have to finish a lot of work at the boutique." I replied. "How about you? Aren't you going to that fishing trip you and Edward planned?"

Emmett shook his head as he propped himself on the table and began to take a couple of pancakes. "Edward cancelled; he said he needs to bring Ness to her piano recital."

"Oh, so I'm going to cancel Kayla today?" I asked as I took a bite from my pancake.

"No, no. I'm going to need her here to watch the kids; I'm going to do some things on the Jeep." Emmett said as he wolfed down the last of his pancakes.

Just as he finished eating, Lucas and Amber entered the kitchen, both of them were still looking sleepy. They went towards their Daddy and they both gave him kisses, and they did the same to me. I served them their pancakes and kissed them goodbye.

"Bye everyone." I called out as I took my coat from the coat dresser. Emmett, Lucas, and Amber all replied and bade me goodbye.

Kayla's car parked in front of our house just as I was about to hop into my car. She had a look on her face that somehow startled me, especially when she saw Emmett come out of the house.

"Good morning, Mr. McCarty." She greeted. Kayla has been working for us for over a month now, and it was only then that I realized she had deep green eyes and full lips and that her short brown hair hugged her face perfectly.

Emmett put on a shirt as he drudged to his Jeep. "Call me Emmett. How many times am I going to tell you that?" my husband said with his usual tone.

I don't know if I was sure, but I thought I saw a glint of joy in her eyes. I shrugged the thought off; maybe she was just delighted to work here in our house.

Alice and I spent most of our time making the dresses we have to make, and most of that time, I kept on thinking about my family. It was weird, but for a moment, I thought that everything that's happening in my life that maybe, just maybe…something bad will happen.

When I got home, Emmett was watching TV with Kayla. I don't know, but there was something off about this woman. The way she smiles, the way she looks at my twins.

"Hey honey, how was your day?" Emmett asked when he heard me close the door. He stood up and walked to me to kiss me.

"Things were pretty busy at the boutique. Good thing Alice let me go home early." I said as I kissed my husband back. "Where are Lucas and Amber?"

Kayla stood up from the couch and grabbed her bag. "They're already asleep. I guess I have to go home now."

I managed to give her a smile. My mood was totally ruined when I went upstairs.

"What on earth happened here?!" I boomed out loud with irritation and anger as I stared at the drawings on the hall walls. "Is this _paint_?!"

I didn't wait for someone to respond. I marched back downstairs. Kayla was just about to get out of the door, and Emmett was propped at the sofa with a not-so-good look on his face.

Kayla turned to my direction with a confused smile on her face. "The kids and I kind of drew there."

"_Kind of_?!" I quoted her. "Well it's pretty obvious!" Too many things were running on my mind. The smarter part of me tells me that it's okay, and that we could just repaint and cover the wall. But a part of me – a stronger part of me – tells me to burst out and blame Kayla. I don't know why, but for some reason I thought that she was doing a plot to hurt me and my family. _Am I being delusional?_

Emmett jumped out of the couch and rushed to my side.

"Well, I just thought that the kids would have fun doing that – and they did." Kayla explained.

"You don't do things without my permission!" I shouted angrily. "This is _my_ house, and you don't have a right to touch anything!"

Emmett rubbed my shoulders, but I yanked him away. "Don't touch me, Emmett."

"I'm sorry, Rose -" Kayla said with a shivering voice.

I cut her off mid-sentence. "It's Mrs. McCarty. Get out of my house."

"I just thought Lucas and Amber will like it." She protested and started to walk towards me.

I couldn't control the anger. I turned to Emmett with a disappointed look on my face. "And you didn't even stop her."

Emmett had _the_ guilty look on his face, and he knew better than to protest.

"But the kids enjoyed it." Kayla pleaded. What the heck is with this woman?

"They're mine, not yours. I decide what they do and what's good for them, not you." Resentment was overwhelming my voice.

Kayla didn't protest anymore, she sighed heavily and tuck a quick turn and left the house. I just stood firmly and watched her drive away through the windows.

"What was that all about?" Emmett asked as he took my hand. "Rose, the kids were bored and Kayla brought up the idea."

I pulled away from Emmett. "You're defending her?"

"Rose, what you did was mean. Kayla was just trying to make Lucas and Amber happy." The look on Emmett's face tells me that he _is_ saying I was the wrong one.

I looked deep into his eyes. Why couldn't he see my point? Kayla has only been working for us for a month, every weekend. Why did he defend Kayla? Am I really the wrong one?

I shook my head and took a deep breath before I removed my gaze from Emmett. I just hope that Emmett somehow saw or sensed what I was feeling as I looked deep into his eyes.


	32. Did you fight because of us?

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

It's been four days since the…incident. Emmett and I only talk to each other if it's about something important. I'm not being hard on him, it's just…I can't accept the fact that he chose to defend someone we barely know over me.

Lucas and Amber had sensed the tension between Emmett and me. Lucas asked me yesterday why I am not talking to his father, and I couldn't find anything to say.

A proud smile escaped my lips as I watched Lucas and Amber play the piano smoothly. I have started teaching them how to play it a year ago, and now they're like pros, given the fact that they're just almost six years of age.

"Did you like it, Mommy?" Amber asked when they finished playing their piece.

I pulled both of them closer and gave them hugs. "You two are so great. Now, it's time for your playtime with Ness. Your Uncle Edward will be here in an hour. Go take a bath and prepare your stuff."

Lucas and Amber nodded obediently and went upstairs. I propped myself in front of the piano and spread my fingers on the keyboard. It was only after a few seconds when I realized that the piece I was playing was Moonlight Sonata.

The way I was playing the piece made me feel weak and vulnerable.

"That piece seems so sad." Emmett said. I could tell that he was just a few steps away from me.

I stopped abruptly and turned to him. "What do you want?"

Emmett sighed. "Rose, I want us to be husband and wife again."

My brows furrowed slightly. "We still are husband and wife."

"You only talk to me when it's about Lucas and Amber. Rose, it's been four days, and it's killing me to see you ignoring me." Emmett was clear and sincere with what he had said.

I wouldn't be ignoring him if only he didn't defend Kayla. I couldn't find anything to say, so I just opened up the unwanted topic. "Why did you defend her? Why didn't you stop her from painting the walls?"

He walked closer to me and sat beside me. "She was just trying to make the kids happy."

"Well there are lots of ways to make them happy. Let them draw on sketchpads, not the freaking wall!" I said incredulously.

"Rose, Kayla lost a child." Emmett replied with a glum tone and watched for my reaction.

I didn't blink or react in any obvious way. "So?" I didn't mean to blurt it out in a steely tone.

Emmett wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "She lost her daughter two years ago. That's why she started to baby-sit other children."

I stood up. "I don't care, Emmett. You knew better than to let her vandalize my house."

Emmett looked crushed with what I said. I didn't wait for Emmett to reply. I went upstairs and checked Lucas and Amber if they were already ready. Amber was in the shower while Lucas was already dressed, playing with a robot on his bed when I entered their room.

Lucas sat up when he saw me and stopped playing. I sat beside him and kissed his forehead.

"You smell good." I told him with a smile. He smelled of lilac and honey; it was a cologne Alice gave him.

Lucas snuggled into my arms. "Mom, are you and Dad fighting because of us?"

I was caught off guard by my son's question. He looked deep into my eyes, as if searching for an answer. I couldn't help but get teary-eyed as I looked at him.

"No…why would you ask that?" I paused and held his hand. "Oh honey, your Dad and I aren't fighting." I lied to sooth my son's obvious worry.

"I heard you talking to Daddy a while ago. If I only knew that drawing on the walls would make you mad…" Lucas trailed off. He sounded and talked like grown up man.

I embraced him into my arms and hugged him tightly. "You are not the reason why your Dad and I are fighting, Lucas. And I will never ever be mad at you or Amber."

A small smile escaped Lucas' lips, and his dimples showed off. In that instant, I saw in him Emmett's face. I kissed Lucas and went back downstairs. Edward was jus in time when I got to the living room.

"You look glum." Edward commented when he saw me.

I shrugged and gave him a cold smile. "I am not glum. Just tired."

"If that's what you say." He replied with a crooked smile.

I hate it when he does that. It's like he's trying to annoy or irritate people when he smile like that. I don't know what made Bella like that smile.

"Kids, you Uncle Edward is here!" I called out.

Lucas and Amber showed up in no time. They strode down the stairs with their bags on their backs. Lucas was holding the robot he was playing with while Amber' bunny was clutched in her arms.

They gave me pecks on my cheek before they turned to their father who was watching TV before they left.

Great, I am stuck with Emmett for the rest of the day. What could I do to ignore him? Because if I don't, he will just open up the topic about Kayla…and I don't want to talk about it now. I went to the garage and found a can of light yellow paint, big enough to cover the drawings on the wall upstairs. I rummaged through the drawers and found some paint rollers.

I knew that Emmett was watching me as I entered the house with a bucket of paint on my arms and a couple of old newspapers to cover the floor. I didn't look at him, and thankfully, he didn't say a word as I passed by him.

* * *

A/N: Again, thanks for the reviews, the alerts, adding this story to your fave stories list...heck, even adding me on your favorit authors list! Thank you guys. :)


	33. Crazy night

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

I let my feelings out as I started repainting the wall that Kayla and the kids drew on. The truth is, I am not that angry because of the drawings itself. I got pissed off because Kayla was the one who proposed to do that. How could she possibly think that she could draw on my walls without my permission? She has a lot of nerve in her. And Emmett…I don't want to think about it.

Frustrated, I angrily rolled the paint roller on the wall while muttering 'I hate that girl'.

"Rose, let me help you with that." I heard Emmett a few steps from me.

I brushed the roller against the wall faster. "No, thank you. I can do this by my own." I said without even looking at him. I sounded a tad too bitter.

Emmett sighed. "Come on, Rose. Just let me help. Let's talk." He walked up to me and tried to take the paint roller from my hand.

I tightened my grip. "I said I can do it by myself."

Emmett removed his hand from the roller. "Fine! I just don't get why you're so pissed off. Kayla said she was sorry, I said I'm sorry. What on earth is the matter with you, Rose?" Emmett asked; his voice rose a little louder.

Tears started to escape my eyes. "Why on earth are you defending her, huh?"

"She was just trying to help. Are you jealous of her?"

"No I am not." I turned my back on Emmett and started to paint the wall again. "I just don't get why you've chosen to side with her. I know I sound like a jealous woman, but I'm not."

Emmett came closer to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. "I know you're not the jealous type. I'm so sorry, okay?"

I placed my hand on top of his. "I'm sorry, too. I'm just… I guess I just have too much in my mind these past few days."

Emmett kissed my shoulder gently. "Don't blame yourself. Come on; let me help you with that."

I surrendered to Emmett and handed him the roller. He kissed me gently on my forehead. I backed away and went to our bedroom and left him to finish repainting the wall. I laid down on the bed and closed my eyes.

***

I gasped as I bolt right up. I had the weirdest dream ever. I glanced around the room, it was almost dark, and so I'd say it's just around 6 in the evening. I slumped back on the bed.

"It's just a dream, Rose." I whispered to myself as I brushed my hair back with my hands. "A messed up dream."

I'm not the superstitious type, and I don't believe in karma or luck. But something about that dream made me shiver. It was about Kayla. She was taking my family away from me slowly but surely. She had completely brainwashed Emmett and the children to leave me behind. That was one creepy dream.

I pushed aside that dream and tried to erase it from my memory. Maybe I just got carried away by my confrontation with Kayla, thus ending up having a dream about her stealing my family. I shook my head and sighed. _That's all past now, Rose. Don't ruin it again, you and Emmett just patched up, _I told myself.

I went to the bathroom and washed my face to clear my head, and then went downstairs. Emmett was watching cartoons with the kids. I crept back to the room and took the camera to take a picture of them. Emmett turned when he saw the flash.

"Hey babe, are you hungry?" Emmett asked.

My stomach replied for me; it growled. I smiled sheepishly and nodded.

"Come on kids, Mommy's hungry." Emmett told as he stood up from the couch. Lucas and Amber jogged to the kitchen.

Emmett stopped when he reached me and bent his head so he could reach my lips and kissed me long enough to make my heart stop beating. It has been four days since we touched each other, and the huge wave of longing instantly hit me. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"You'll get the rest of it later." Emmett said with a sexy smile when he pulled away from me.

I bit my lip and blushed. I felt like a teenager again for a brief second. I followed Emmett to the kitchen and got surprised when I saw Lucas and Amber spreading grated cheese on a bowl of macaroni.

"We decided to cook something for you." Emmett said and pulled me to the counter.

Well, it looks good. I kissed Lucas and Amber on their foreheads. Lucas grabbed a spoon for me while Amber poured a glass of water. I'm really surprised that Emmett managed to make them prepare dinner for me.

"Did you guys eat already?" I asked.

All three of them nodded. Emmett handed me the bowl of macaroni. I took a spoonful and nodded slightly when I finished chewing; it was pretty good.

Emmett scooped Amber up and placed her on his lap, while Lucas sat beside me.

"We're glad you're not fighting anymore." Amber said.

I looked at her, and then at Emmett. He kissed Amber's forehead and smiled at Amber. "Your Mom and I never really fought." Emmett said as he touched Amber's nose and smiled.

Amber giggled; her cheeks became redder than an apple. She looks so adorable. I emptied the bowl in no time and washed the dishes before joining my family on the living room to watch a DVD.

Lucas insisted that we should watch Spiderman 2, while Amber wanted to watch Enchanted. They were almost on the verge of arguing, so Emmett announced that he will be the one who will choose what to watch…and he chose Lord of the Rings 3.

Amber fell asleep after the first thirty minutes of the movie – she was obviously not interested. Lucas, on the other hand, was glued to it. And he was fascinated at the creepy bony guy…Gollum, I think. The other creatures, the orcs, looked really disgusting…but the elf archer, Orlando Bloom's character, was really cute. Lucas was glued to the screen up until the ending of the movie.

Emmett carried Amber to their room followed by Lucas. He tucked Lucas and Amber and kissed them both. Emmett really is good at being a father. He turned off their bedside lamps and closed their room door. He instantly looked so hot the moment he turned to look at me.

He lifted me up and carried me to our room. He laid me on the bed. "Where were we?" He asked as he brushed his lips against mine. I locked lips with him and wrapped my legs around his waist.

"Oh, you did not just do that." Emmett whispered playfully when he felt my legs around his waist. His hands crept from my hip down to my thigh and pushed himself closer to me.

He kissed me again and left me wanting for more when he moved down to my neck…then to my chest. I took off his shirt and he did the same thing with my blouse.

This is going to be one crazy night.

* * *

A/N: I know, it's been a while since my last update. I'll be having my exams next week, so that's why I'm so loaded with projects and term papers (it sucks, LOL). Well, do you have any suggestions? Do you want Royce to return and wreak havoc, or are you tired of him (coz I am... :p)? Your suggestions are most welcome. :)


	34. Good news

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

A/N: Okay, first of all, I am now thinking about ending this fic…probably because I think my work here is done (eh?). Second, I am now working on another fic, aside from Something About You. What do you think? There, all said. Back to the story…

* * *

I watched adoringly as Emmett taught Lucas and Amber how to fish. The cool breeze of air added extra touch to the whole scenario. Emmett planned this fishing trip a week ago, and since then, he and the kids got really excited and hyped up.

"Dad! I caught one!" Lucas enthused when his rod got pulled by something.

Amber clapped her hands enthusiastically as Lucas proudly announced that a fish bit his bait.

I jogged up to them and watched as Lucas single-handedly managed to get the fish out of the water. I clapped my hands proudly when I saw the middle-sized fish Lucas caught.

"Wow, nice one Luke!" Emmett cheered.

I grabbed the camera and took a photo of Lucas holding the fish he caught with Emmett and Amber beside him. Lucas and Amber grow bigger everyday, and now they look so beautiful. Emmett looked very much like a proud father and a happy husband.

Emmett's smile turned into a frown suddenly. I looked at the direction where he was looking and my jaw almost dropped when I saw Kayla approaching us.

"Mrs. McCarty, before you scream at me, I really just want to say I'm sorry." She said as she moved closer to me and then stopped a few steps away.

I didn't know what to say. "How did you know that we're here?"

She smiled. "I was driving around and saw you. And Mrs. McCarty, I really miss the kids."

I sighed and looked at Emmett. Judging from the way he looks and how he's keeping the children busy made me realize that he doesn't have any plans on getting involved with this discussion.

"Kayla, I'm still mad at what you did. It's not appropriate to do something like that."

She looked down on her feet. "And I'm sorry for that. Is there any chance for me to work again for you?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm not going to take chances again, Kayla."

Kayla grimaced and nodded. She looked like she was about to cry. "Can I just hug the kids one last time?"

I looked back again at my family. Lucas and Amber were playing with the toys they brought while Emmett was preparing to grill the fish Lucas caught.

I looked back at Kayla and nodded. She ran to my children and embraced them tightly. I could see that she really was fond of my children. Lucas and Amber liked her, too. But when they heard me and Emmett discussing about Kayla and what I felt about what she did, they didn't mention her that much again.

Something creepy made me wince. Kayla looked at my children like they were her own. I was sure that she was looking at them in that way. I strode to them, and Emmett noticed my unusual look.

"Kayla, that's enough." I muttered and took Lucas and Amber from her arms.

I felt protective of my children in an instant. Then I remembered my dream about Kayla. The thought that she was really planning on taking my family away entered my mind. Emmett wrapped his arm around my shoulder and gave Kayla a farewell nod. The kids waved to her as she walked away from us.

Lucas and Amber went back to their toys. Emmett, on the other hand, pulled me closer to him.

"What was that all about? You looked like you were ready to smack her anytime." He said as he kissed my forehead.

I sighed and looked deep into his eyes. "I had a dream that she was going to steal you from me."

Emmett chuckled, and I felt assured at the way he reacted. "No one can take me and the kids away from you."

It felt great to hear Emmett say that. I pushed away the thoughts about Kayla and smiled. "There's something else I want to say, Em."

"What is it?" he asked as we started to walk to our twins.

I bit my lower lip and smiled. "I'm late."

Emmett looked at me with a confused look. "Late for what?"

His question made me laugh, as well as the look on his face when he asked that. He looked so handsome and charming.

"My period, it's late." I said after my laughter subsided.

Emmett had a surprised and hopeful look on his face. "Are you pregnant?"

I shook my head. "I'm not sure yet."

Emmett kissed me and wrapped his arms around my waist. "I hope you are."

***

"Babe, you've been there for quite a long time now." Emmett said through the door.

I have been staring at the pregnancy test in my hands for about fifteen minutes or so. We dropped by at the local pharmacy after our picnic to buy a pregnancy test kit, and I headed straight to the bathroom when we got home.

I stared at the two red lines on the tube and frankly, I felt like it was my first time to be pregnant. Too many stuff entered my mind, like how will Lucas and Amber react when I tell them that I'm going to have a baby again?

Emmett knocked on the door again. "You're making me nervous, babe."

"Daddy's been walking from the bedroom door to the bathroom door, Mama!" Lucas called out. His voice made me smile.

I stood up and opened the door. Lucas and Amber were at the bed, playing. And as Lucas said, Emmett was pacing. He stopped short when I came out of the bathroom. He rushed to my side.

I handed him the test result.

"Two lines…oh god, I'm going to be a father again!" he boomed happily.

Lucas and Amber ran to their father with curious looks on their faces.

"What happened?" Amber asked Emmett.

Emmett knelt down in front of them and took Lucas and Amber's hands. "A miracle. Mommy is going to have a baby again."

"Awesome!" Lucas boomed just like how Emmett boomed while Amber smiled happily. "Is it a brother or a sister?" Lucas asked me.

I kissed his forehead. "I don't know yet, honey."

"I want a brother!" He gushed excitedly.

Emmett and I chuckled at Lucas' reaction and I felt relieved that my twins aren't going to have any problems with the new baby.

I couldn't be any happier now. I'm going to have a baby again, and I hope that there will be no more tragedies in my life.


	35. Happy Birthday

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)*  
**  
A/N: Hey guys, I want to say **thank you** [once again] for staying with me on this story. Can't believe this story is in it's 35th chapter already. Who would've guessed I'd make this far? Anyway, I don't have any exam tomorrow so I had the chance to make an update. The next chapter is already being processed, and it will be posted within the next 24 hours. Hope you like this one. :)

* * *

Emmett's POV

It has been four months since we found out that Rosalie was pregnant. And today was a special day – my twenty-ninth birthday. I couldn't believe that it has been six years, nine months, two weeks, and five days since Rosalie and I married each other. Looking back through the memories, it seemed to me like it all happened just a week ago.

Lucas and Amber are five and a half years old now, and I am proud to say that they are both gorgeous kids. Lucas took in a lot from me – my looks, my smile, and my attitude. Amber, my little princess, was more like her mother – she looks a lot like Rosalie, only she has dark hair, and she is reserved, like her mother. And now that another baby is on the way, I couldn't help but feel like my life couldn't be any happier.

Rosalie and I decided to have an ultrasound last week, and the doctor confirmed that the baby is a boy. Lucas jumped with delight when he found out that he is going to have a baby brother. Rose and I have made a list of possible names two days ago; Amber even helped out with the name thinking.

"Honey, what time are you going out?" Rosalie asked from the bathroom. She woke up with a headache a couple of minutes ago. The first thing she said when she woke up was 'happy birthday, my dear husband'.

I walked over and stopped short at the doorway of the bathroom. Rosalie was leaning against the sink.

"Are you okay?" I asked her, my voice strained with concern.

Rosalie held out a hand to stop me from walking over to her. "I'm okay."

Rosalie's pregnancy this time was a bit more sensitive. She gets nauseated easily, she became picky with food, and to top it all off, she seems like she's always mad over something. The kids and I got used to it eventually. Whenever Lucas or Amber notices Rose's grumpy face, they would stop whatever they are doing and give her space so she could relax and rest.

"What time are you going out?" Rose asked again.

"Around eight; if you're not comfortable with me partying tonight, I can call Edward to cancel it." I stated honestly. Edward and Jasper came up with this idea last week, and Rose allowed them to take me to a bar to celebrate my birthday. She said she allowed Edward and Jasper to take me away tonight because I was a 'good husband' and that she knows I wouldn't do anything stupid.

Rose looked at me with a sweet smile on her face. "It's okay. Besides, Bella and Alice will come over here to help me with the kids." She opened the faucet and washed her face. That was my cue to give her some space.

I spent the whole afternoon watching and playing with the kids. Lucas and Amber made up a birthday card for me; they never fail to surprise me every birthday. Rose, on the other hand, was sleeping soundly at our bedroom. She had been restless since two days ago. I often wonder why her pregnancy now was so different from her pregnancy with the twins then, but then again, her doctor assured us that there is nothing to worry about.

"Daddy!" Amber squealed.

I jerked my head towards her and lifted her to my lap. "What is it, little princess?"

She smiled sweetly – she reminds me of Rose every time she smiles – and kissed me on my cheek. "Lucas and I have a surprise for you."

I chuckled heartily. "A surprise? You already gave me a birthday card."

Lucas came into view with a wrapped box behind him. "This is the real deal, Daddy-o." He said with a grin on his face.

"Happy birthday, Daddy." Lucas and Amber said in unison as Lucas handed me the box. My heart almost melted when I saw what was inside the box. It was a picture frame, and I could tell that Lucas and Amber made it by themselves. The wooden frame was covered with different tiny drawings like a sail boat, a flower, a smiley face, and a car. The picture in it made me smile. It was the picture of our family during Lucas and Amber's fifth birthday.

The phone suddenly rang. I took Amber out of my lap and grabbed the phone.

"McCarty residence." I stated like I have said it a million times before.

"Em, is Rose okay? I've been trying to reach her on her phone but she's not answering." It was Alice, and she spoke a little too fast. "She's not even answering my text messages."

I sighed reassuringly. "She's fine, Alice, relax. She's been asleep for the last couple of hours."

After Alice said that she, Bella, and Ness will arrive a little earlier, I hung up the phone and went upstairs to check on Rosalie. She was awake now, sitting on the bed.

"Tell me I'm a mess." She muttered as I walked up to her.

I smiled and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead. "You're pregnant. You're not a mess."

"Yeah Momma, you're still pretty." Lucas chipped in as he and Amber climbed onto the bed.

Rosalie smiled and embraced the twins, careful with her every move. Lucas and Amber were careful with their actions, too; they are well aware that any sudden or inappropriate move can hurt Rose and the baby. We spent almost an hour altogether on the bed, just talking and playing with one another. Rosalie chose to bail out and just watch us as we had a pillow fight. Lucas let Amber win; he was always like that with his twin sister.

After the pillow fight, we formed into a group hug. This was another thing we loved to do. Not a day passes without one of our group hugs.

"We love you Mommy and Daddy." Lucas and Amber said in unison when we pulled away from each other.

Rosalie's smile made them smile. She looked like she could ask for nothing more. "Daddy and Mommy love the both of you, too." She said sweetly. "Before I forget, you two have to finish your homework before your aunts arrive here."

I smiled at how Rose manages to still be in control aside from the fact that she has been sensitive these past few months. And that's one thing I love about her.

Lucas and Amber protested. "Can we play for a while, pleeeeaaaase?" Lucas asked with puppy eyes.

Before I could let myself give in to Lucas' puppy eyes, I shook my head. "No. Go on, finish your homework first. You could play when you're both done. Chop chop."

Rosalie chuckled as she watched Lucas and Amber drag themselves to their room. "They are really cute."

"And they're using it against us." I joked. I leaned closer to Rosalie and kissed her. "I love you, pretty girl."

She kissed me back. "I love you, too. Now get prepared for your night out."

I obediently obeyed her and went straight to the bathroom to take a bath. She then helped me decide what to wear.

An hour later, Edward, Jasper, Bella, Alice, and Nessie showed up in our front porch. The girls went straight ahead to Rosalie at the kitchen, while the guys gave brief greetings to my kids and Rosalie.

"Rose, we're leaving! Love you!" I called out from the living room.

"Have fun, love you too!" she called out.

I kissed my twins and jumped into the car with Edward and Jasper. Edward drove to the new club in Port Angeles, and I could tell that the place was packed just by looking at all the cars in the parking lot.

We jumped out the car and headed inside the club. It was big enough to hold a hundred-fifty people or so, and a band was playing Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls when we came in. the place was totally packed with people ranging from teens to adults.

We found a table near the end of the place, where there were only a few people. Thankfully, no one has noticed Edward yet, because all the women in this bar will flood him and ogle at him once they see him. We ordered a round of beers and started to play pool when we found an empty pool table.

I never really expected that this night was just the beginning.


	36. My dear husband

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

Rosalie's POV

It has been a couple of hours since the boys left. I'm glad that Edward and Jasper came up with going out with Emmett tonight; he deserves it. Emmett has been the most wonderful husband any wife could ask for – he doesn't get home drunk, he goes home early, he is still so sweet even after six years of marriage, and to top it all off, he is an amazing father. I'm so proud to be his wife.

Nessie was playing with Lucas and Amber in their room. Even if Nessie is already almost eleven years old now, she still loves playing and watching over her cousins. Lucas and Amber grew really attached to her. Alice was finishing some sketches, and Bella was reading Wuthering Heights for the thousandth time.

"Seriously, Bells, you're reading that again?" I asked as I sat down beside her.

Alice looked up from what she was doing and grinned. "You and I both know that Bella will never stop reading that book."

Bella stuck out her tongue like a little girl towards Alice and then returned her attention to the book. Alice handed me the sketch pad and asked for my opinion.

"I think it's great, as usual. And I'm sorry this is the only thing I could do to help you, Alice." I smiled apologetically towards Alice. I really felt bad that I had to leave the designing and running the boutique to Alice for now. I had to because of my pregnancy, which is a far cry from my pregnancy with the twins.

My pregnancy this time was more sensitive – I get nauseated and irritated easily, I got picky with food, and I always have morning sickness. It was a relief when the doctor told me that everything is going to be fine.

I agreed to have an ultrasound last week, and to my delight, my baby is a boy. As expected, Lucas and Emmett rejoiced when they heard the news. The rest of my family was excited now, too, especially Carlisle and Esme now that they're going to have their fourth grandchild.

"It's okay, Rose. You need to be extra careful with your baby now. I understand." Alice smiled reassuringly before returning to her sketches. "Anyway," she spoke as she continued drawing. "I have a suggestion for the baby's name."

I chuckled at Alice's enthusiasm; she had been giving me names randomly since I announced that I'm going to have a baby boy. The last time she gave a suggestion was yesterday, over the phone. "Okay, what is it?"

Alice broke away from her sketch pad with a proud smile on her face. "Caleb Austin. Isn't it adorable?"

"It is. I'll talk to Emmett about it when he arrives." I smiled and winked at Alice.

"I like it." Bella chipped in, her eyes still glued to the book.

A couple of hours later, I felt tired and broke away from my conversation with Bella and Alice about babies and married life. I dragged myself to my room, my hands placed lovingly over my semi-swollen belly. I had fallen asleep even before my head hit the comfort of my soft pillow.

"Rose, wake up." Alice's low hush pulled me away from my deep slumber. "It's Emmett…"

I sighed and opened my eyes groggily and looked at the clock. It was half past midnight. I turned my gaze to Alice who was looking worried and anxious. She handed me the phone. I dreaded that something was wrong, and I braced myself for what I was about to hear.

"Hey, honey." I said, my voice sounded raspy.

Emmett sighed; he sounded relieved and disturbed. "Listen, I know that you're not going to like what I'm going to say but…"

I sat straight up as I listened to Emmett's words. Jolts of worry and nausea clouded up my mind in an instant.

"Rose, I'm at the precinct. You have to bail me out." Emmett's tone was both sorry and embarrassed.

I, on the other hand, was enraged. I didn't even say anything before I hung the phone up. I jumped right out of bed and locked myself in the bathroom to take a quick shower.

"Rose, calm down, it's not good for the baby." Alice has been trying to soothe me since I got out of the bathroom. "I'm sure he has a good reason."

I tied my hair up and donned the coat Emmett bought for me last week. "He better be." I muttered coldly as I grabbed my purse. "Alice, please be a doll and watch over my kids while I'm out taking my husband from that ridiculous place."

Alice stood up from the bed and wrapped me in a tight hug. "It's all going to be fine, Rose."

I can't believe at how Alice remained calm even though her husband was with Emmett at the precinct. She was so reserved and positive that everything would be okay. We both decided that it would be better if we wait until Bella wakes up to tell her the news, better yet let Edward do the explaining to his wife himself.

I tapped my fingers impatiently on the wheel as I waited for the light to turn green. _I let him go out and this is what happens_, I muttered to myself. _God knows how much I want to smack you right now, Emmett._ I didn't even expect to hear something like that from him; I didn't expect that this day would even happen.

My baby boy nudged me, and I took it as a warning that I am beginning to wear him out. "I'm so sorry, baby. Blame your father." I whispered coldly as I sped up again.

I slammed the car door shut and strode to the front desk of the precinct. "I'm Rosalie McCarty; I'm here for my husband and my brothers."

The policeman in front of the desk smiled briefly and processed everything that needed to be done to get Emmett, Edward, and Jasper out from the cell they were at.

"Thanks for bailing us out." Edward said with a cocky smile.

"Shut up, Edward. You and Jasper use your car and drive straight home to your house. Alice and Bella will stay at my house for the night." I muttered bossily without even looking at Edward and Jasper. My gaze was locked towards Emmett.

Edward knew better than to protest, so he and Jasper headed to his Volvo while Emmett and I got into the M3. Emmett was silent; he was waiting for me to voice my thoughts. I pulled up at the park along the way. Thankfully, it was empty.

"What the hell happened?" I asked out loud as I got out from the car.

Emmett was fast to make his way towards me. "Okay, first of all, I'm sorry. Second, I didn't expect this to happen."

I scoffed and crossed my arms. "Just tell me what happened."

Emmett took a step closer to me and held my hand; his firm grip made it clear that he wasn't going to let go. "I had a fight with someone at the club."

I pulled my hand away from him. "You _what _?!"

---

Flashback [Two hours earlier on Emmett's POV]

"I didn't know you're great at pool, Jazz." I complemented as Jasper hit the last ball.

Jasper chuckled and raised his eyebrow at Edward. "I won the bet."

Edward sighed and handed Jasper a hundred bucks. I like it when the two of them gets into a bet. "You want more beer, Em?" Edward asked.

"I'll get it. You want more, Jazz?" I said and asked.

Jasper shook his head and I made my way to the bar.

The bar tender turned to me. "What do you want, sir?"

"Two mugs of beer, please."

The bar tender turned his back on me to get what I ordered. I began to think of what Rose and the kids are doing right now, and I assumed that the kids were already asleep now by this time. I'm really thankful Edward and Jasper asked me to have a boys' night out – it gave me the chance to unwind. Two men sitting beside me suddenly laughed cockily.

"You know the woman who works at Cullen Haute Couture?" One of them, the bulkier one, asked.

"The small brunette girl or the tall blonde one?" the other asked with a lusty smile on his face.

The bigger guy grinned cockily. "The hot blonde chick. Man, I'd screw her anytime."

That made my blood boil and made my vision darken. I lunged towards the bigger guy and grabbed him by the collar.

He tried to get away from me, but my grip was firm, and I was bigger than him. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" he asked, his breath stunk of beer.

I shoved him to the counter of the bar. "The 'hot blonde chick' happens to be my _wife_." I muttered clearly to him, emphasizing the word 'wife'.

The guy snorted and grinned. "Can you introduce me to your hot wife so I could -"

I didn't let him finish his sentence. My fist hit his face in a blink of an eye. I lunged again and hit his face again, this time harder. The guy's friend tried to pull me away from his friend, but failed miserably. Jasper and Edward saw the commotion.

"Dude, I'm sorry for saying that, I was just messin' around!" the guy screamed when he got the chance.

"Messin' around?! You _wished_ to screw my wife in front of me!" I threw another punch towards him.

The bar tender came out with a baseball bat. "The police are coming. Stop now or else you will regret this night."

---

I pulled Emmett closer to me when he finished telling me the whole story. "You still shouldn't have done that." I whispered as he kissed my forehead.

"He was saying nasty things about you, Rosie. I won't let anyone do that." Emmett whispered sincerely as he kissed me, this time on my lips.

The disappointment I felt towards him was erased by the proud feeling I felt; my husband beat the hell out of someone to protect me. Emmett once again proved me wrong; he was really a great husband.

"This is one hell of a birthday." Emmett whispered almost to himself as he got inside the driver's side of the car. I let him drive because the day's events were starting to wear me out.

I leaned towards him and gave him a kiss before we started to drive back home.


	37. Welcome to the world

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

A/N: So, my exams are finally over, and I have posted another new fic [**Before It's Too Late**; check it out]. I'd really appreciate it. Haha. Anyway, on with the story… Hope you like this one.

* * *

"Emmett, kids, dinner's ready!" I called out loud as I spread out plates on the table.

Lucas and Amber came into view in an instant and hopped onto their seats and were ready to chow down in no time.

Emmett jogged down the stairs with baby blue paint splattered on his shirt and all over him, yet he still looked so gorgeous.

"Honey, change your clothes. I won't let you anywhere near the table if you look like that." I said with a crooked smile. I placed my hand on my now bulging belly and rubbed it gently when I felt my baby boy kick.

"When is he coming out, Mommy?" Amber asked as she watched me rub my belly. She had an innocent look on her face, and it made me smile.

I walked over to Amber and kissed her forehead. "Soon."

I felt Emmett's arm wrap around my shoulder and pulled me to my seat. I enjoy dinners like this; we eat as a family and talk as a family. Lucas and Amber were getting bigger everyday; and each of them now has their own outstanding features. Lucas's best asset was his smile, while Amber's eyes were the ones that draws other people's attentions.

Emmett had just started working on our baby's room. He made it very clear that I am not allowed to enter that room until our baby comes out because he read from somewhere that paint fumes are bad for pregnant women.

I really love my husband.

It has been five months since Emmett's jail encounter, and I was pretty much amused when Lucas found that experience 'cool'; he is so like his father. Now that I'm nine months pregnant and ready to pop anytime, everyone in my family was so excited to meet the new addition.

Carlisle and Esme sent a crib, while Alice provided the toys. I really didn't want to take all their gifts, but they insisted.

After dinner, we helped the twins with their homework and watched cartoons with them afterwards. It was in the middle of the night when I woke up with a startling pain in my back. I sat up and looked at Emmett, snoring lightly beside me.

"Emmett, honey…" I whispered as I gently shook Emmett's arm.

Emmett opened a single eye blearily. "Babe, it's almost 1 in the morning. Get back to sleep."

"It's time." I said with all the left strength in me.

Emmett jumped out of bed immediately and changed his clothes. I took my ready hospital bag and went to Lucas and Amber's room.

"Kids, wake up. We're going to the hospital."

Lucas and Amber knew what I meant and jumped out of their beds and grabbed their coats. Emmett helped me get into the car and buckled the twins on the backseat. Emmett called Alice on the way to the hospital, and I heard Alice mumble something about me choosing to give birth in the middle of the night.

Emmett chose to stay with me until the baby comes out while Alice took care of Lucas and Amber on the room we reserved for us.

At about three in the morning, I felt the contractions get worse and I was sure that I was going to give birth. I held Emmett's hand tightly as I gave birth; Emmett's hand was almost crushed after the whole process.

---

Five hours later

"Hey, it's my turn!" Alice's childish plea woke me up.

I still felt tired and drained, but I forced to open my eyes. Esme and Carlisle were on the small sofa; she was resting her head on Carlisle's shoulder. Jasper was holding a baby wrapped in a light yellow blanket, while Alice was beside him.

"Rose," Emmett whispered as I felt him hold my hand.

I smiled at him and saw fatigue in his eyes; I'm sure he too didn't get too much rest. "Hi honey."

Jasper turned around when he heard my voice and gave me a loving smile. He walked over to me and handed me my baby boy. The baby was obviously a bit smaller than Lucas and Amber when they were just newborns. The second thing I noticed about him was his hair; even if it was still short, I was sure he was blonde.

Another thing I was sure of was that our newborn son looked a lot like me. Even from his small features, I instantly resembled my nose and my lips to him.

Joy overwhelmed me as I tucked the baby in my arms and watched him as he slept.

"What are you going to name him?" Alice asked, almost a whisper.

I immediately glanced at Emmett. "What do you think, Em?"

Emmett smiled and reached for the baby's tiny foot. He pressed his lips gently against it and smiled. "Nathan Gabriel McCarty."

Alice clapped her hands giddily. "I like that name!"

Emmett had the same proud father look on his face the moment he said the name he wanted for our baby. His joy was obvious on his tired face. I reached him and kissed him softly, but our son's soft moan stopped our kiss.

"Where are Lucas and Amber?" I asked when I suddenly remembered that Lucas and Amber went to the hospital with us.

"They're with Edward and Bella. They got restless while waiting for you when you were giving birth so Edward and Bella took them home first." Jasper said. "They haven't seen their little brother yet."

Jasper and Alice persuaded me to sleep again, as well as Emmett, and they promised to look over Nathan. They also promised that they would wake us up when Lucas and Amber arrive. Although I didn't want to let go of my son, Emmett told me that I needed to rest, and I didn't want to make him mad.

After three hours of sleeping, Alice woke me up. She said Edward called and said that they would be at the hospital within half an hour. Esme made Rosalie eat right after she woke up and helped Rosalie change into a comfortable pair of pajamas. Emmett, on the other hand, was still asleep and refused to open his eyes every time Alice tried to wake him up.

I took the liberty of waking Emmett up just as the twins entered the room. This time, Emmett opened his eyes and grinned when the twins rushed to him to give him a hug. After that, Lucas jumped to my bed and kissed my cheek.

"You look tired, Mama." He said with a concerned look in his eyes.

I patted his head gently. "I'm okay, buddy." Jasper came in the room with Nathan in his arms. He handed Nathan to me and announced that he and Alice were going back to their house to rest.

Amber jumped to the bed and sat beside her twin brother; both of them stared intently at the baby in my arms. I was amused at how they looked at him.

"Can I touch him?" Lucas suddenly asked, still not breaking his gaze from his little brother.

I nodded and smiled at him. Lucas touched Nathan's cheek and smiled. "He's so soft, Mama. And he looks like you." Lucas babbled excitedly; it was obvious that he was instantly hooked to his baby brother.

"I know." I laughed and looked at Emmett, who was taking a picture of this family moment.

Amber held her little brother's hand and kissed it. "What's his name?"

Emmett joined us at the bed and pulled Amber into his lap. "Nathan Gabriel."

Amber's eyes lit up; she insisted that she wanted the name Gabriel for her brother. She leaned closer to her brother and kissed his cheek gently. "Welcome to the world, little brother."


	38. Good Stuff, Bad Stuff

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

**It's been a while since I last updated this story, and I think I lost some of my readers because of that. Anyway, thanks to all those who kept urging me to update. I've been so busy with college and my part time job; I didn't have much time to work on my stories. So here I am again with a new update. Hmm…I'm going to make one final twist or something in this story before I end it. Yep…I'm going to end this one soon. And I hope you're going to love the outcome of the last few chapters of this fic. Much love.**

**BTW, this is just a filler chapter.**

**On with the story…**

* * *

It has been two months since I gave birth to Nathan. Lucas and Amber were still coping up with the late night crying and screaming of their little brother, and I felt sorry for them. One night, they wanted to sleep on the living room because they couldn't tune out their brother's crying.

Tonight was no exception. Nathan has been crying nonstop for about an hour now, and it's ten in the evening. Lucas poked his head inside our room with a sour look on his face.

"Mom…he's crying again," he said with an annoyed tone.

I shifted Nathan from my left arm to my right and rubbed his back; it didn't work. "I'm sorry, Luke. Is Amber awake?"

Lucas nodded and groaned. I really feel bad for my twins. "Okay, why don't you ask your Daddy to spread a mattress on the living room floor in front of the fireplace?" Emmett has done that for two nights now. He'd stay and sleep with the twins on the living room while I was left with Nathan.

Lucas nodded and left the room. I turned my attention back to Nathan who was beginning to stop crying. His face was still red and he looked like he was going to cry again. I had already tried feeding him, make him burp, change his diaper, but he still kept on crying.

I called Carlisle, and he said it was normal for babies to cry. He actually sounded like he was expecting me to call about that topic. Well, I couldn't blame him; the last time he saw Nathan was during Nathan's baptism, and Nathan kept crying the whole day.

From the pregnancy and the attitude, Nathan was really different with the twins. I had no problems when I was pregnant with Lucas and Amber, and they weren't hard to handle when they were babies.

It made me wonder what would happen to us in the future.

"Babe, do you want me to take care of Nathan tonight?" Emmett poked his head inside the room, just like the way Lucas did a while ago.

I smiled and tucked my baby boy closer to me. "It's okay; you go and sleep with the twins."

Emmett walked closer to me and gently kissed Nathan's forehead. "You haven't got much sleep since you gave birth to Nathan."

"I don't think you can handle him," I said with a silly smile.

Emmett chuckled and kinked his eyebrows. "You think so? Let's have a bet. I can make Nathan sleep soundly tonight with no difficulties."

The look on my dear husband's face made me giggle like a teenager. He really knows how to lift my spirits. "If you win I'll let you watch football every night for two weeks."

"Oh I'm so on," Emmett replied with a crooked grin. "And if you win, I'll wash the dishes for two straight weeks."

"That's a pretty good deal. I'm sure you'll lose anyway," I winked at him playfully and kissed him.

He laughed and then patted me on my shoulder and took Nathan from me. "Go on baby, get some rest."

"Thanks honey," I said with a warm smile.

Emmett smiled and whispered 'I love you' before I left the room. The twins were already lying on the mattress when I got downstairs. I took a lighter and lighted up the fireplace.

"Goodnight kids," I whispered as I tucked them in. They both smiled and kissed me. I fell asleep the moment my head hit the soft pillow.

I woke up the next morning with the sound of rain. Lucas and Amber were still sleeping gently. The house was very silent. I went upstairs to check on Emmett and Nathan. Our baby was sleeping soundly, tucked in his father's arms.

Looks like Emmett won the bet. Lucky him.

I took a bath and then made French toast for breakfast. Lucas was the first to wake up.

"Mom, there's a car parked in front of our house," he said quietly when he entered the kitchen.

He grabbed a plate and started eating while I went to the door and peeked through the window. There was a car in front of our house – a black sedan – but I couldn't see who was inside the car because of the thick rain. I shrugged it off, thinking that it might just be a person of no importance.

"Smells like French toast," Emmett said with a smile as he jogged down the stairs.

His voice woke Amber up. "Good morning, my two beautiful ladies."

"Looks like you and Nathan had a great time last night," I kissed him and ushered Amber to the kitchen.

"And looks like I won the bet. Football!" Emmett boomed with a big grin.

Lucas turned around when he heard his father and ran towards us.

"Hey there buddy, your Mom told me that we can watch football every night for two straight weeks!" Emmett and Lucas both jumped in delight while Amber and I looked at them with big smiles on our faces.

All four of us ate breakfast and talked about having a dinner party here this weekend. Nathan's loud cry interrupted our morning conversation.

"I'll get him. You wash the dishes, Em," I said before I took off.

I heard him mutter something; the least thing he wanted to do is wash the dishes. He must've been so happy that he won our bet. Washing the dishes for two weeks is like torture for him.

Nathan was crying so loud again. I bent down to get him from his crib and carried him to his dresser to change his diaper.

"Em, can you prepare Nathan's milk?" I asked as loud as I could so Emmett would hear me.

"Sure!" he shouted back.

I finished changing Nathan's diaper with little difficulties and kissed him in his tummy. "Please smile for Mama, baby boy," I cooed.

As if he understood me, Nathan smiled.

"That's my boy," I cooed again as I carried him and went downstairs. The day went on like our usual days; Emmett taught Lucas and Amber a few things about cars while I spent most of my day with Nathan.

My youngest son has just fallen asleep when Emmett came inside the room with the phone handset in his hand.

"It's Alice," he said.

I tucked Nathan in his crib and took the phone from Emmett. "Hey Alice."

"Hi Rose!" she greeted warmly. "How's Nathan? Carlisle asked me to call you and check on him."

"Nathan's sleeping. He just fell asleep actually. How are you guys there?"

"We're all doing fine. Nessie's going to have a piano recital next week and she's hoping you guys would come."

"Of course we'll come. We're also planning on inviting you guys here this Friday for dinner. Amber misses her Uncle Jasper badly," I said with a smile. Jasper really made an impact to my daughter.

"Tell Amber that Jasper misses her too. I want to tell you something…actually, you're the first person to hear what I'm going to say." There was something in Alice's tone that made me feel excited. "Rose, I'm pregnant."

Did she just tell me that she's pregnant? I squealed with delight and completely forgot that Nathan was asleep. "Finally! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks Rosie. I don't know how to say it Jasper though."

Nathan began to cry. I felt sorry for waking him up. "Alice, Nathan's awake. I have to go now. Anyway, why don't you announce your pregnancy on our dinner here?"

Alice chuckled excitedly. "That's a great idea, Rose. Don't tell Emmett yet, okay? Love ya!"

"Love you too Al," I exclaimed before we ended our phone conversation.

I tossed the handset on our bed and rushed to Nathan's crib and scooped him up.

"I'm sorry for waking you up honey," I cooed as I began to rock back and forth.

Emmett came inside the room with a curious look on his face. "Looks like you and Alice had a great conversation."

"You heard my squeal too?" I asked with a sheepish smile.

Emmett nodded and took Nathan from me. "Yeah. What were you two talking about, anyway?"

"That's a secret," I whispered and planted a kiss on his lips. "Are you going to stay with Nathan tonight?"

Emmett nodded again and told me to sleep with the twins tonight. I took a quick shower before heading downstairs and watched TV with the twins until they fell asleep.

Alice's good news made me vibrant but when I passed a window and saw the black sedan still parked in front of our house, I felt chills run down my spine.

* * *


	39. Suspicions

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)***

**So…this is the best I could come up with. I dunno, too many things were in my mind. I just wish this chapter will be good enough for you guys. Anyway, thanks for your reviews. You guys are just awesome.**

**Much Love. :]**

* * *

For a moment, I thought my eyes were tricking me because of my lack of sleep. But another round of chills ran down my spine. The same black sedan was still parked in front of our house. It was still parked there at the same spot when Lucas showed it to me this morning.

I couldn't think of any reason now as to why that car would be parked in front of our house. I locked the front door and checked again if the car was still there.

It was.

The first thing that came into my mind was to tell Emmett. I almost tripped as I ran through the stairs. "Em," I gushed as I burst to our room. Right now, I didn't care if he was trying to put Nathan to sleep. "Someone's watching us!"

Emmett sensed the fear in my voice and rushed to my side with Nathan still tucked in his arms. "What are you talking about?" He stood up from the bed and rushed to my side.

"A black car was parked outside our house this morning, and it's still there!" My mind kept telling me to relax, but I couldn't contain myself.

Emmett handed me Nathan and took his revolver from his cabinet and ran downstairs. I followed him as fast and as careful as I could because I was still carrying Nathan.

Emmett burst out of the front door and to my surprise, the car was gone. He ran to the middle of the street to search for the car, but he saw nothing. He tucked the gun at the back of his pants and jogged back to our house.

"Hon, there's no car," he whispered as he closed and locked the door.

I felt confused. "But…it was right there just before I ran upstairs to tell you," I pointed my finger to the exact place where the car was.

Emmett embraced me and kissed my forehead. "Maybe you're just tired."

I pulled Nathan closer to my chest. The urge to protect my children suddenly overpowered me. "Lucas saw the car this morning, too."

My husband sighed and rubbed my back to soothe me. "Do you want me to sleep here too?"

I nodded. Emmett took out another mattress from the twins' room for me and Nathan to sleep in while he opted to sleep beside the twins.

Too many thoughts ran through my mind. The only person I could think of was Royce. He was the only person who could do that because we don't have any enemies or something. But why would he bother us now? It's been six years since we last saw him, and Emmett made sure that he wouldn't bother us again.

The thought of Royce and what he did to me back then brought tears to my eyes. I was glad my back was turned on Emmett; I don't want him to see my crying. I remembered Blythe…my poor unborn baby girl. I wiped my tears away and sat up. Thankfully, Emmett was already sleeping. I watched as Lucas and Amber slept and moved closer to Nathan.

I spent the whole night just watching my children sleep.

---

I woke up the next morning with the sound of Amber's beautiful voice. I sat up groggily and saw Amber singing a lullaby to Nathan; how sweet.

The image of the black sedan suddenly flashed in my mind. I must've fallen asleep a few hours ago. I ran to the front door and peeked through the window. To my delight, no car was parked in front of our house.

I looked around the living room and realized that Emmett and Lucas were nowhere in sight. "Amber, where's your father and your brother?"

"They're at the kitchen, making breakfast," Amber replied with her usual sweet tone.

"Oh," I whispered and felt relieved. I took a quick shower and went back to Amber and Nathan. Nathan was still sleeping soundly because of his sister's lullaby. I just sat beside Amber, admiring her beautiful voice.

Lucas came into view with a smile on his face. "That's a nice song, Amber."

Amber looked at him with a smile. "Is the food ready? I'm starving."

Lucas nodded and started to pull my hand to make me stand. "Come on. I'm sure you'll love what Dad and I made for you."

Amber and I followed Lucas to the dining area. To our surprise, the table was filled with lots of stuff - pancakes and bacon and eggs and toasted bread.

"That looks yummy," Amber mused as she propped down on her usual spot.

Like our usual mornings, we all ate together and had a nice family conversation. Emmett kept glancing at me during the entire breakfast, and I knew why.

When we were done eating, the twins placed their plates on the sink and went to the living room.

"Don't be too noisy okay? Your baby brother is still sleeping there," Emmett reminded them.

Lucas and Amber nodded obediently and went to the living room. I stood up and began to clear the table. Emmett stood up and began to help me.

"Did you get enough sleep last night?" he asked as he placed the glasses on the sink.

I sighed and started to wash the plates. "No."

Emmett leaned on the counter and folded his arms across his chest. "So who do you think might be the person inside that black car?"

"I don't know. It was raining hard yesterday morning when Lucas told me about it and then it was already dark by the time I saw it again last night."

"Rose, I think it's…" Emmett stopped. He knew me well enough; he didn't want me to cry again because of the person he was about to say.

I looked at him wearily and sighed. "I think its Royce too."

Emmett moved closer to me and started to give me a gentle backrub. "Let's not think about it anymore."

"What if he hurts our kids?" I asked full of fear and concern. I couldn't even bear to think of him touching my children.

"He won't. I think I made it clear enough to him that I don't want him around you back then. Maybe we're just over reacting," Emmett said with a calm tone. I'm sure he didn't want me to plague myself with too much fear of Royce hurting my family.

I took a deep breath and sighed. "Maybe you're right."

Emmett planted a tender kiss on my shoulder and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Let's just wait and see. If you see that black car again, don't hesitate to tell me, okay?"

I rested my head on his shoulder and nodded. "I just don't want any more drama in our life. I've had enough of it."

"I promise, I won't let anything bad happen to our family," he whispered with a firm tone.

---

It's been a week since I saw the black sedan, and thankfully, I haven't seen it since then. Maybe Emmett was right; maybe I was just overreacting. I cuddled Nathan gently in his crib and watched his tiny fingers as he tried to reach me.

Lucas came into the room with a bag and walked straight ahead to Nathan's toy box.

"Honey, what's inside that bag?"

He looked at me with a sweet smile on his face. As he grows older, he looks more and more like Emmett. "My old toys; I'm giving it to Nate," he said.

I smiled and motioned for him to come closer to me. "That is so sweet honey. I'm sure your brother will like those toys."

Lucas reached Nathan's hand and kissed it gently. "Can I carry him?"

I rubbed Lucas' back and shook my head. "Not yet. But you can play with him if you want."

"Cool," Lucas replied. He started playing peek a boo with his little brother. "When is Daddy coming home?"

"He'll be home tonight. He called this morning, but you and Amber were still asleep. He said he miss you two so much." Emmett went on a hunting trip with Edward and Jasper two days ago to take some time off. He really didn't want to leave us, but Edward and Jasper insisted and they wouldn't take no for an answer. Besides, Carlisle's house is not that far from here. We can call them if ever there is an emergency.

Lucas nodded and went back to playing with his brother. "I think I saw Nanny Kayla this morning, Mom." Lucas blurted out of the blue. He sounded like he was just telling me something ordinary.

"Kayla?" I asked dubiously. Suddenly I felt nauseous.

Lucas nodded once again and creased his brows when he saw my worried look. "What's the matter?"

I tried to put on a smile so he wouldn't worry. "Nothing. Are you sure it was her?"

Lucas pouted his lips. "Well, I'm not actually sure. A woman passed by our window this morning, and I think it's Nanny Kayla because it looks like her."

I kissed my son's forehead and left the room to look for Amber. With what Lucas said, I started to panic deep inside. I know it's a bit silly to panic and worry at this time, because Lucas just probably mistook the woman he saw for Kayla, but then again, it _might_ be her.

The dream I had about Kayla taking away my family crept back into my mind. Why is this happening now? Could she be the person behind the wheel of the black sedan we saw a week ago?

I took a deep breath and pushed the negative thoughts aside. The most important thing I need to do right now is to find Amber and secure my children.

The sound of the front door opening almost made me jump. I ran as fast as I could to get downstairs.

* * *


	40. Everything's okay now

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)*******

**Wow. I can't believe this story is on its 40****th**** chapter now. And a hundred plus reviews ain't that bad, too. So once again, just like in every chapter of this story, I wanna thank my readers. This is the second to the last chapter. Err, honestly, I think this chapter is not that good. Anyway, I hope you like this one. :]**

* * *

The sound of the front door opening almost made me jump. I ran as fast as I could to get downstairs. "Amber, close the door!" I shouted as I ran down the stairs.

But I was too late.

"Oh my god…" It came out almost as a whisper. I almost felt like my blood was going to dry up.

The person standing by my front door smiled. "Rosalie, you look like you saw a ghost."

Seems like my first suspicion was right after all - here he is, Royce King in the flesh. And the worst part of it was he was standing too close to my little girl.

Royce bent down ever so slowly and knelt in front of Amber. He held her hands and smiled. "You are so pretty," he said.

Amber's eyes darted from me then to the stranger in front of her. She saw the scared look on my face. She tried to pull her hands away from Royce, but she failed.

"Let go of my daughter," I said as I moved closer to them.

Royce stood up and wrapped his arms around Amber. "She could be Blythe," he said as he stared at my daughter. He looked at me with a twisted look in his eyes. "I've been watching you Rose. I can tell that you still need me."

Tears ran down on my cheeks. I felt sorry for Amber; she shouldn't be involved in this. I moved closer, but Royce's arms tightened; it made Amber gasp.

"Don't come closer, Rose. Promise me one thing first."

Anger seeped through my veins. He's hurting my daughter. Right then, Lucas came into view from the staircase.

"Mom, what's the problem?" Lucas asked.

I turned around to look at him. The worried look on my face made his brows crease. "Lucas, go back to Nathan. Lock the door and don't leave Nathan no matter what happens!" I shouted and looked deep into Lucas' eyes.

There was something in my son's eyes that made me feel that he won't do anything until he finds out what's the problem. Lucas searched the room and finally saw Amber trapped in Royce's arms. "Let go of my sister," he demanded. I could tell from the tone of his voice that he's not afraid.

Royce chuckled. "She's not your sister anymore. She's my daughter now."

I looked at Amber with a sorry look and she nodded. I really felt sorry. The sound of Nathan's loud cry startled me. I took a deep breath and made a mental promise that I would protect my children no matter what.

Suddenly, a small table lamp was falling from the second floor; it was thrown by Lucas. The butt of the lamp hit Royce's forehead. I knew Lucas' baseball pitching skills would be a great help someday.

Royce's face turned red as blood started to ooze from his forehead. He let go of Amber and shot Lucas a death glare. Royce started to run towards Lucas' direction.

"Run Lucas!" I shouted as I tried to block Royce's way, but he pushed me aside with little difficulties; he was much stronger than me. A door slammed shut from the second floor and I felt relieved that Lucas and Nathan are safe…for now. I ran towards Amber and grabbed the phone. I carried her to the storage room and locked the door.

"Keep quiet, okay?" I whispered and Amber nodded. I wrapped my arms protectively around her. We could hear Royce shout in anger. I dialed Emmett's number and felt glad when the other end of the line started to ring. _Pick up, pick up…_ The line suddenly went dead.

"You can't call for help now," Royce shouted. I could tell that he's not that far away from where we are. "I came here to take you away from your husband. I know you're not happy with him."

More tears rolled down on my face. I could feel Amber's hand holding mine tightly.

"Why is he saying that, Mommy?" she asked as low as she could.

"He's sick, baby. He needs to see a doctor," I whispered. It was true; Royce needs to be brought to a psych ward or something. It's been years since we last saw him. It made me realize that after all those years he still thinks that he has a right to take me.

I stood up as quiet as I could and made sure that Amber was in the very corner of the storage room, hidden behind a huge box of old toys. "Whatever happens, don't come out," I whispered.

Amber nodded. "I love you Mommy."

I tried to fight back my tears and look strong for my daughter. "I love you too sweetie." With that, I turned the door knob quietly and went out of the storage room. Thankfully, Royce wasn't anywhere in sight. I swiftly ran to the kitchen and grabbed the first thing my hand landed on – a frying pan.

With the pan clutched in my hand, ready to swing any time, I walked slowly to the living room.

"You know what, Rose? I'm going to take your brave son first," Royce shouted.

His voice gave me the creeps. Then I realized that his voice came from somewhere near the stairs. I went towards him, not making any noise, and hit the pan against his head as hard as I could.

"Ah!" he groaned out loud. He fell down on his knees and rubbed his hand against the spot where I hit him. I was about to hit again when he grabbed my foot. I tried to hit him again, but he knocked me down in one swift move.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked as I struggled to get away from him.

He looked deep into my eyes. "Because you're _mine. _Don't you want to have a family with me? That little girl of yours could be our daughter." The way he said those words made me shiver. It was like listening to a horror movie villain reveal his true identity.

"Stop it. I don't want you!" I screamed. The only thing that was running through my mind now was my children and their safety.

Royce's grip on my arms tightened. "I'm going to make you want me then."

"You're a pig!" With all my might, I tried to get away from him by kicking him away. It worked. I scrambled hurriedly and ran towards the front door. A loud thud made me look back.

Royce was now lying down on the floor, unconscious. Lucas was standing in front of him and shards of a flower vase were scattered on the floor. The first thing that came to my mind was to secure my children.

"Lucas, get back upstairs," I demanded. I ran back to the storage room to get Amber and ran to our room where Lucas and Nathan were hiding. I felt proud of Lucas; he really did make sure that Nathan was safe by placing Nathan in a baby car seat and hid with him in the bathroom.

"Thank you so much for taking care of Nathan." I wrapped my arms tightly around Lucas. "I am so proud of you honey."

I knelt down and kissed Nathan on his tiny hands and caressed his cheeks. "How long has he been sleeping?" I turned around and asked Lucas.

"He was crying so loud because of all the ruckus so I made him sleep once I got back here after I threw a lamp towards that guy," he replied. He pulled Amber closer to him and whispered to her, "Don't worry, everything's going to be alright."

I pulled them both closer to me and embraced them. "Mommy's going to come out of the room, and whatever happens, don't leave each other. Okay?"

Lucas had a look on his face that says 'I wanna come with you'. "Why are you going out?"

"I left my cell phone at Nathan's room. I need to get it to call your Dad."

Lucas gave me a tight hug and said, "Just scream if you need me."

Ah, my little superhero. I am really lucky to have these wonderful children. I kissed his and Amber's forehead and left the room quietly. I was about to standup when the door broke down.

Lucas immediately pulled Amber and took Nathan and ran to the bathroom. I blocked Royce's way tried to hit him as hard as I could. Fortunately, I was able to make his nose bleed. But before I could hit him for the third time, he caught both my arms and grasped it tightly.

"You made a mistake when you left me," Royce said matter-of-factly.

Pure disgust seeped through my veins. I tried to pull away from him, but his grip became tighter as seconds pass by. How long has it been since Royce entered my house? An hour? It definitely doesn't feel like it; it's as if I've been fighting him off for a long time now…the down side of it is that I feel like my strength is beginning to wear off.

With all the remaining ounce of strength I have, I banged my head against his head. God, that hurts. To my dismay, Royce recovered easily and pushed me to the wall. Everything started to become dizzy; my back was in pain, my head was throbbing, and my knees are weak. I couldn't get up.

Royce was about to walk towards me and grab me when I heard a loud gunshot. I froze in terror – the first thing that came into my mind was my children. Royce started to breathe unevenly and his hands were shaking as he lifted his jacket. Blood was oozing from the left side of his stomach. I could tell that he was just as shocked as I am.

"What the…" Royce trembled as he stared at his blood-covered hand. He slowly fell to his knees, revealing the person who shot him.

Behind him was Emmett with a revolver pointed towards Royce. The look on his face surprised me; he was neither guilty nor bothered. "I should've done that a long time ago," he said.

The bathroom door opened slowly as Lucas tried to take a peak; he must've been alarmed by the gunshot. He swung the door open the moment he saw his father and ran towards him. Amber followed closely behind him, and Nathan was tucked securely in her arms.

Emmett patted Lucas' head and ran towards me. He picked me up in one swift move and carried me to the sofa downstairs. He wrapped his arms tightly around me and whispered, "Everything's okay now."

* * *


	41. My Happily Ever After

***I obviously don't own Twilight. But I do own this. Haha! Please review. :)*******

**I'm glad you liked the previous chapter. Whew, Royce is finally out of the scene. Yay! Lol. Thanks for your reviews. So…here we are at the last chapter. Though I don't want to end this one, I think it's about time I do. Anyway, I hope you guys will like it. :]**

* * *

"Mom! Come on!" Lucas called out.

I finished packing Nathan's bag and took Nathan from his crib. "Are you ready for your first trip?" I cooed as I cuddled my baby boy. As if he understood me, Nathan smiled.

Emmett entered the room and grabbed Nathan's bag. "Come on Rose, we're going to be late."

I smiled at my husband and remembered the moment when he showed me five tickets to Madrid for a vacation. I hesitated at first, and then gladly accepted the tickets when I realized that we need to take some time off to forget some…unwanted memories.

Jasper helped Emmett place three large suitcases in the back of the taxi and promised that he would "take care of things while we're gone". I thanked Jasper for helping us out for the past month and bade him goodbye.

"I can't wait to get inside the plane," Lucas blurted out excitedly on the way to the airport. "Someday I'm going to be a pilot!"

Emmett and I laughed at his enthusiasm. "I thought you want to be a soldier," Emmett said.

"Well…I'm going to be a soldier _and_ a pilot!" Lucas exclaimed.

"What about you Amber?" Emmett asked.

Amber was silent for a couple of seconds before she replied. "I want to be a doctor."

"Good," Emmett said. "At least there's going to be someone who would take care of Lucas in case he gets into trouble."

All four of us laughed in unison.

---

Shortly after take off, most of our fellow passengers in the first class cabin had slipped in headphones or earplugs so they wouldn't have to listen to the children. One woman even took sleeping pills.

Lucas, who was very excited before the flight, was very psyched. He didn't want to sit down; he kept walking around and asked the flight attendants a lot of things about the plane and how it works. Amber, on the other hand, was very much the demure girl that she is. She just sat silently at her seat as she watched a movie on Emmett's laptop. Nathan, almost four moths old, didn't like flying and voiced this opinion to us the only way he knew how.

A flight attendant handed me a newspaper and I gladly took it. The article on the first page made me nauseous though.

**FORKS PSYCHO DEAD!**

_A month ago, Royce King III broke into his ex-girlfriend's house and threatened her family._

_The woman's husband arrived just in time before King had a chance to hurt his ex-girlfriend and her children badly. The husband shot King, but it didn't kill him on the spot._

_Now, a month later, he died due to the complications the injury did to his kidney and lungs._

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. _Royce is finally gone,_ I told myself. Now I could go to sleep without worrying that someone might hurt my family. I tried to push away the memories of that night and opened my eyes again. I folded the newspaper and made a mental note to thank the local newspaper for not mentioning my name in the article.

When I finally got both Lucas and Nathan to quiet down and actually go to sleep, I silently cursed Emmett who seemed to have absolutely no problems falling asleep amidst Nathan's crying and Lucas' constant babbling. I closed my eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

"Rose…Rose, wake up." Emmett's voice woke me up. "We're about to land."

I groggily opened my eyes and yawned. "How long was I out?"

Emmett chuckled. "Eight hours, I think. I bet you're very comfortable at your seat."

Wow. I can't believe I actually slept for eight hours in a plane. I looked around and saw Amber sleeping soundly while Lucas was sitting quietly in his seat with his toy.

"What did you do to Lucas?" There was awe in my voice as I asked.

Emmett grinned and glanced at his son. "I told him if he won't behave, I'm not going to let him fly a plane."

I chuckled and smacked him softly on his arm. "I can't believe you resorted to blackmail."

---

I couldn't help but squeal when I went to the back porch of the villa we rented for our week long vacation. The tranquil, pristine blue ocean stretching out past the horizon was something I would never forget. I quickly went to our room and grabbed the camera. I took a picture of the beautiful scenery.

"Let's move here," I said softly when I felt Emmett's presence behind me.

He laughed and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Let's ask the kids first if they want to live here."

"I'm sure they'll love this place." I rested my head on Emmett's chest and listened to his beating heart. For a moment, I felt like we were the only ones in the place. Everything went black; the two of us standing at the center of the black horizon, his heart beat the only sound.

"What are you thinking of?" Emmett whispered.

I looked at him and caressed his cheek. "I can't believe we've been together for seven years."

He grinned, showing off his alluring dimples. "Brace yourself Ms. Hale. You're going to be with me for the rest of your life."

"Don't you mean Mrs. McCarty?" I giggled.

Emmett grinned and leaned forward to kiss me. His kiss was soft and tender at first, but after a few breaths in between, it became stronger and full of passion. His arms tightened around my waist as I wrapped my arms around his neck. Now that I'm in Emmett's arms, I feel like I could forget all the bad things that happened to me. I could forget all that and just think of him and the beautiful children he gave me.

When we finally stopped kissing each other, we sat down at the steps of the porch and watched the gentle waves of the ocean. This moment reminded me of the first time Emmett brought me to the empty lot, which became our house now.

I rested my head on Emmett's shoulder. "Thank you so much for everything. You brought me my life back after I had a miscarriage. You stood by me through thick and thin."

Emmett chuckled and held my hand. "Do you remember what I told you during our wedding?" He looked at me with warmth in his eyes. "I made a vow to you that I will never stop loving you."

"Now until forever," I whispered as I squeezed his hand gently. He smiled at me and leaned towards me to give me a soft kiss. "I love you Em."

"I love you too Rosie."

Emmett and I stared at each other for a brief moment, as if we were etching each other's faces into our memories. Nathan's voice made me look away from Emmett.

"I guess that's our sign to get back to our lives," Emmett kidded.

I laughed and gave him a small peck on his cheek before I ran back to the villa to check on Nathan.

"Hey honey," I cooed when I entered our room. Nathan was sitting on his carrier, crying. "How was your sleep?" I scooped him up and carried him to the living room.

Lucas and Amber were playing scrabble while Emmett went back to building Nathan's crib.

"What do you think of this place?" I asked out loud.

Lucas was the first to react. "I like it. This place is beautiful."

"I have to agree with that," Amber said with a small smile on her lips.

I sat on the sofa and placed Nathan on my lap. "Then what do you think of living here?"

Amber's head shot up, like she didn't expect anyone to ask that question. "I'd be glad to live here!"

Emmett chuckled and stood up. "Who else wants to live here?"

Lucas and I raised our hands. Lucas even grabbed Nathan's hand and raised it as well. All of us laughed at what he did. Emmett finally caved in and told us that he will find a real-estate agent. Lucas and Amber celebrated by running around the villa.

Later in the afternoon, we decided to spend the afternoon outside so Emmett put out a blanket on the sand near the beach. He played Frisbee with Amber and Lucas while Nathan and I just relaxed on the blanket as we watched them play.

"Hey guys, take a break," I called out to them. "Let's watch the sunset."

All three of them jogged back to us. Emmett sat beside me while Amber and Lucas laid down on the blanket. Emmett took Nathan from me and cuddled Nathan.

The gentle breeze blew a little stronger, and the sky was starting to look orange.

"Thanks for this vacation," Lucas said. "Having a house here is going to be cool."

"Anything for you guys." Emmett patted Lucas' head and smiled at Amber. "You know how much your Mom and I love you."

Amber nodded and smiled sweetly. "Yeah, we know. And you know how much we love you both, right?"

Emmett and I nodded in unison.

"I'm really thankful to have you as our parents," Amber added. I almost melted when she said those words. I didn't expect to hear that from her.

Emmett moved closer to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "And your Mom and I are proud to have you as our children."

I couldn't ask for more. This moment is more than perfect, and I am really happy to have a family like this – a husband who loves me and sticks with me through thick and thin, twins who support and help me, and a beautiful baby boy. Looking back at my past, I never thought I would have a family like this. I thought I would end up having Royce as my husband…and I am glad that he left me, because if he did not leave me back then, I wouldn't get the chance to meet Emmett.

Now, as I watch the setting sun, I feel complete. Just like earlier this morning, I feel like I could forget all the bad things that happened to me. And I know I could really do that, especially with the help of my family.

I rested my head on Emmett's shoulder and smiled, mostly to myself, as I looked at Lucas and Amber's awed faces as they watched the sun set.

"I love you," Emmett whispered.

I looked at him and smiled. _I could do this forever_.

I will never forget this moment.

* * *

**Did you like it? I hope you did. Also, I posted a poll at my profile page. It's about the next story I will work on. Please check it out if you have the time. I'll close the poll at the end of the month.**

**A big THANKS to those who have read this fic from beginning to end. I especially want to thank those who supported me when I was new here. Thank you so much guys. :]**

**Much Love. :]**


End file.
